Team India’s flamboyant skipper Virat Kohli faced the music for arguing with umpire Aleem Dar in an aggressive manner during the India vs Afghanistan World Cup 2019 clash as he was fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct. Kohli was found to have breached Article 2.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “Excessive appealing during an International Match”. Saturday’s incident occurred in the 29th over of the Afghanistan innings, when Kohli advanced towards umpire Aleem Dar in an aggressive manner when appealing an lbw decision.
According to the media release, “Kohli admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Chris Broad of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, and as such, there was no need for a formal hearing.”
In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Kohli, for whom it was the second offence since the introduction of the revised Code in September 2016.
Kohli now has two demerit points after having got one demerit point during the Pretoria Test against South Africa on 15 January 2018.
On-field umpires Aleem Dar and Richard Illingworth, third umpire Richard Kettleborough and fourth official Michael Gough levelled the charges.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official.
