Times when Virat Kohli was fined for breaching ICC Code of Conduct

Virat Kohli has a reputation of being one of the fiercest character when it comes to expressing himself on the field. Being of a nature who does not hold back from showing intense emotions and never-say-never attitude, Kohli has created a defining image of his on-field persona. The same was evident when the Delhi-born was involved in a heated shoulder tussle with Australian debutant Sam Konstas during the MCG Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

For his visible altercation with the 19-year-old, Kohli attracted a 20 per cent fine of his match fee in addition to one demerit point for breaching the Code of Conduct laid by the International Cricket Council (ICC). On the contrary, Konstas got away and not even a formal warning was granted to the New South Wales batter. However, this is not the first time that Kohli has been fined for breaching the Code of Conduct.

The 36-year-old has faced fines on a number of occasions for his on-field antics that put on display his aggressive self. Let's discuss some of the most infamous of such events:

2012 - Sydney Test vs Australia

A young Virat Kohli, on his debut tour Down Under, faced the wrath and booing of the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where the Indian team was playing the New Year's Test at the iconic venue. In response, Kohli retaliated by signing the crowd with some inappropriate hand gesture. The match referee Ranjan Madugalle thoroughly investigated the incident and charged Kohli with 50 per cent of his match for the Level 2 offence.

2014 - Adelaide Test vs Australia

During the famous Adelaide Test of the 2014-15 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India went with a fiery pace battery, as a relatively young Varun Aaron was trusted with the ball to utilize the bouncy and favourable conditions of Australian pitches.

An attacking opener in the form of David Warner was batting at the crease, and Aaron got the better of the star batter. Naturally, the Indian team's reactions seemed extremely charged up after getting the important breakthrough. However, replay showed that the bowler had overstepped, handing Warner a reprieve. This led to the batter charging a heated 'Come on!' at Kohli, who then barged onto the batter, further leading to a charged up exchange of words between Kohli and his fellow Shikhar Dhawan.

For being found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct, Warner was fined 15 per cent of his match fee. The Delhi duo, on the other hand, were charged double i.e., 30 per cent each of their respective match fees.

2014 - Melbourne Test vs Australia

One of the most infamous battles on the list is when ace pacer Mitchell Johnson and Virat Kohli engaged in a verbal spat with each other, after the bowler had thrown the ball at the latter on the cusp on Lunch on Day 1, being unable to find the trick to dismiss him. Kohli, who was also the vice-captain of the Indian team in that game, was quick to respond with a verbal spat.

The ball had hit Kohli's body, while Kohli was still in his followthrough after defending the good length ball delivered by Johnson. The throw by the left-arm speedster looked intentional, and many backed Kohli's reaction as fair and just.