Kohli reprimanded for IPL temper tantrum

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli has been reprimanded after hitting a plastic chair with his bat following his dismissal during an Indian Premier League match.

Kohli made 33 in Bangalore’s second successive win this season of the popular Twenty20 tournament after they edged out Sunrisers Hyderabad by six runs in Chennai on Wednesday.

But the star batsman was charged for breaching the IPL’s code of conduct that relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match”.

TV cameras picked up Kohli’s tantrum as he kicked an advertising cushion and then vented his frustration on the chair after falling to Hyderabad’s West Indian import Jason Holder.

But the Indian captain escaped a fine. Ex-India opener Gautam Gambhir was docked 15 percent of his match fee in 2016 for a similar offence in the IPL.

Cricket fans on social media slammed superstar Kohli’s irresponsible on-field behaviour.

“Omg. Shocking. How is [the] chair responsible for Virat Kohli’s failure in batting? I hope school level young lads don’t see these visuals as it will impact the future of Indian cricket adversely,” a fan wrote on Twitter.

Kohli’s side topped the IPL table as they search for their maiden title in the 14th edition of the tournament, which is being played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic.