Two days have elapsed since the incident involving Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test between India and Australia in Melbourne, where Kohli made contact with Konstas. As a result, Kohli has been penalized with a deduction of 20 per cent from his match fees, a sanction he has accepted. Nevertheless, it appears that the Australian media continues to relish the opportunity to criticize Kohli. Just a month after being referred to as 'King' by a tabloid, he has now been labelled the primary antagonist by the same outlet.

On the first day of the fourth Test against Australia, Kohli made contact with Konstas as the latter was adjusting his gloves and walking towards the opposite end of the crease. Kohli approached Konstas from a considerable distance outside the crease, leading to a verbal exchange between the two players, with Kohli confronting the 19-year-old.

In the aftermath of this incident, the Australian tabloid 'Sunday Times' resorted to sensationalism by publishing a photograph of Sam Konstas alongside the provocative headline, 'Virat I Am Your Father.' The accompanying text reads, 'Young star who rattled down Kohli and his Indians primed to get Aussies back on track.'

Netizens slam the tabloid and 'disrespectful' headline

Netizens are currently criticizing the tabloid for its disrespectful treatment of Kohli, who is widely acknowledged as one of the finest batters of the modern era. This incident marks yet another occasion where Kohli has faced backlash following the Sam Konstas episode.

Previously, The West Australian published headlines such as ‘Clown’ and ‘Karma,’ the latter being referenced after Kohli's dismissal for 36 runs in the first innings of the Melbourne Test.

One user remarked, "You are sinking to a new low. Not only are you disrespecting Kohli, but you are also directing negativity towards a 19-year-old with these antics." Another user expressed, "Everything was acceptable until this point... this is appalling. Show some decency." A different netizen stated, "A newspaper publishing this? There is a boundary to banter and sledging, but this headline is in extremely poor taste. HAVE SOME DECENCY!"

"Is this really what a newspaper prints? Have some decency? Oh, my mistake, shameless—clearly, you do not feel shame," another user added.

Previously, the ICC imposed a fine of 20 per cent of his match fees on Virat Kohli for the incident involving Sam Konstas and assigned him one demerit point. The 36-year-old accepted the penalty issued by match referee Andy Pycroft.

He was charged with violating Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct by on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, and fourth umpire Shawn Craig.

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