India vs England: Virat Kohli in danger of facing ban after furious exchange with on-field umpire

India skipper Virat Kohli is in danger of getting suspended ahead of the third Test against England after his angry exchange with umpire Nitin Menon on the third evening of the ongoing second Test in Chennai. Known for his animated actions on the field, Kohli did not shy away from expressing his displeasure over to the umpire after one of his calls.

The incident took place when Menon adjudged Joe Root not out in the final over of the day. Kohli had reviewed the decision but was absolutely furious when Root was reprieved on umpire’s call after lbw technology had been applied. During the review, ultra-edge confirmed the ball had missed the bat but struck the pad on its way through to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

When ball-tracking was applied by third umpire Anil Chaudhary, it showed that the delivery from left-arm spinner Axar Patel would have gone on to hit the stumps but at the point of impact, it was an ‘umpire’s call’ adjudication. As a result, Root survived the call since the on-field umpire had originally adjudged him not out.

Virat Kohli likely to land in hot water

As soon as the umpire’s decision was confirmed, Virat Kohli walked up to Menon to express his displeasure. The 32-year-old looked animated as he had a furious chat with the official. And his action could land him in hot water with match referee Javagal Srinath. Under the ICC code of conduct, players face sanction if they show ‘dissent at an umpire’s decision’ or are seen to be ‘arguing or entering into a prolonged discussion with the umpire about his/her decision’.

Kohli now faces a Level 1 or Level 2 offence being levelled against him which could see him get between one and four demerit points. Kohli currently carries two demerit points on his record from the past 24 months. Two more demerit points will see him getting suspended for one Test. He is also facing severe criticism for his action.

“He cannot be speaking to umpires like that and inciting the crowd. He should be setting a much better example. Someone in his camp should be having a word and the match referee should be very interested. It’s calculated and it’s not a good look,” said veteran commentator David Lloyd.

On the other hand, former England captain Michael Vaughan said: “You can’t have this, I’m sorry. Kohli is such a powerhouse, you can’t have him intimidating the umpire. It’s a stinker of a decision but you can’t be doing that as a captain.”