Virat Kohli fined for offensive gesture

Virat Kohli was photographed raising his middle finger towards the spectators during day two of the second Test against Australia © Getty Images

 

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By CricketCountry Staff

 

Sydney: Jan 5, 2012

 

Virat Kohli, who showed his middle finger to a section of crowd at the SCG during the second Test, was fined half of his match fee by match referee Ranjan Madugalle on Thursday.

 

As Indian bowlers struggled to contain Australian captain Michael Clarke (251 not out) and Ricky Ponting (134) during the course of their 288-run stand, Kohli was photographed raising his middle finger towards the spectators.

 

Kohli, however, justified his act on his twitter account after the second day’s play.

 

“I agree cricketers don’t have to retaliate. What when the crowd says the worst things about your mother and sister. The worst I’ve heard,” tweeted Kohli.

 

India team spokesman GS Walia told reporters on Thursday that match referee Ranjan Madugalle had fined Kohli 50 percent of his match fee for the offense.

 

The player had pleaded guilty and was sorry for his action, Walia added.

 

Last month, Kohli had been reprimanded for showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during the third one-dayer against the West Indies in Ahmedabad.

 

After being given out lbw, he had stood his ground for a considerable time. Later he pleaded guilty to a Level 1 offence while accepting the proposed sanction from the match referee David Boon.