Ian Chappell slams Virat Kohli's "senseless antics" against young Sam Konstas during MCG test of BGT 2024-25

Virat Kohli shoulder-bumped Sam Konstas during the MCG test of BGT 2024-25.

Virat Kohli‘s test form has been a major talking point in Indian cricket. The legendary batter had a tough 2024 in red-ball cricket, averaging just 24.52 in the year, with only one century.

Kohli struggled in both home and away tests last year. His struggles started in the home series against New Zealand, where he faced difficulty against the left-arm duo of Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner. Later, he struggled against Australian fast bowlers, getting out to deliveries outside the off stump on all of his eight dismissals in the series.

Kohli made headlines during the fourth test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 in Melbourne by shoulder-bumping young Australian opener Sam Konstas on the opening day of the test.

Kohli was severely slammed by the Australian media and journalists for his shoulder-bump into Konstas. He was fined 20 per cent of his match fee by the ICC and one demerit point was added to his disciplinary record.

Legendary Australian batsman Ian Chappell has shared his thoughts on the incident and offered some advice to Kohli.

Virat Kohli has to stop his senseless antics: Ian Chappell

In his column for ESPNcricinfo, Ian Chappell highlighted that Kohli’s experience in England will be crucial for India in the tour later in the year. He also advised Kohli to avoid engaging in “senseless antics”.

He wrote, “Kohli’s experience in the UK would be invaluable, and of the two problematic players [Kohli and Rohit] he’s the most likely to be resuscitated. However, his consistency needs to improve in addition to dispensing valuable advice to younger players.“

Chappell continued, “He also has to stop his senseless antics like shouldering Sam Konstas in the MCG Test. If Kohli does decide to retire from Test cricket, the loss of both him and Rohit would leave a huge gap in the line-up for a tough tour.“

The five-match test series against England will be crucial for senior players – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma if they are picked.

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