Reports: Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir to not pay their fines from their pockets

The discussions around the contentious Match 43 of IPL 2023 between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore don’t seem to stop with reactions coming from various former cricketers on the onfield behaviour during the game. RCB batter Virat Kohli and LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir got into a heated argument after the game when the players from both teams were exchanging pleasantries following RCB’s 18-run victory.

The BCCI was quick to act on the matter and imposed heavy fines on all the parties involved. Kohli and Gambhir were fined 100% of their match fee while LSG seamer Naveen-ul-Haq who also had an altercation during the match was fined 50% of his match fee.

Following the imposition of the fines, there have been widespread discussions among fans about how much will each player have to pay and whether the amount will be cut from their annual salary.

The IPL match fee is not pre-determined like international matches as it depends on various aspects like the player's auction price, his actual salary in case of retention by the franchise (like in the case of Kohli), and the number of matches the franchise plays in a season.

For example, Kohli reportedly earns INR 15 crore from RCB for a season, and hence his per-match fee will depend on the number of matches RCB plays this season, which is set to increase if they qualify for the playoffs.

According to reports, whatever the amount for the fine will be, Kohli won't be paying it from his pocket as most IPL franchises have a culture of paying their player’s fines. "Players put their bodies on the line for the team and we respect that and as a culture, we don't cut the fine from their salaries," an RCB source was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

According to a report, the same applies to LSG seamer Naveen-ul-Haq and mentor Gambhir and hence LSG will be paying fines imposed on Gambhir and Naveen. As far as the amount Gambhir has to pay, it remains unknown as his salary remains between him and the franchise, and the numbers floating all over the internet are just speculations.