Virat Kohli. During the second day of the 4th Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), a pitch invader breached security and tried to embrace star Indian batter Virat Kohli.•
Incident occurred in the morning session: The unexpected disruption took place in the first session of Day 2, after the third delivery of the 97th over. The intruder, wearing a “Free Ukraine” shirt, initially approached captain Rohit Sharma in the slip cordon before redirecting his attention to Kohli.
Kohli remains calm, briefly puts arm around invader: Despite the surprise, Kohli handled the situation with composure. He briefly placed his arm around the invader’s shoulders before security personnel intervened.
Swift security response: Security staff quickly sprang into action, intercepting the pitch invader and escorting him off the field. The incident caused a short delay, but play resumed shortly after without further disruption.
Charged atmosphere at MCG: The pitch invasion occurred amidst an already tense atmosphere, with Kohli being repeatedly booed by the crowd. This hostility stemmed from his on-field clash with Australian debutant Sam Konstas on the opening day of the Test.
Kohli fined for previous incident: Prior to this event, Kohli had been fined 20% of his match fee and received two demerit points from the ICC for his altercation with Konstas.
Match situation: At the time of the incident, Australia was in a strong position in the Test match. Steve Smith had scored a century, and the hosts were looking to post a substantial first-innings total.This incident highlights the ongoing challenge of maintaining security at major sporting events while also showcasing Kohli’s ability to handle unexpected situations with poise
