Sanjana Ganesan Defends Virat Kohli After Crowd Booing Incident at MCG

Sanjana Ganesan calls out disrespectful behavior from fans after Virat Kohli faces boos during the Melbourne Test.

Melbourne [Australia], December 27: Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s wife, Sanjana Ganesan, came to the defense of Virat Kohli after the former Indian captain faced boos from sections of the crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Day 2 of the fourth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test.

After scoring 36 runs off 86 balls, including four boundaries, Kohli was dismissed and received a hostile reception while walking back to the pavilion. Responding to the incident, Sanjana Ganesan took to social media to condemn the crowd’s behavior.

“Really disrespectful behaviour towards the country’s best batter. Criticism is fine, but abuse crosses the line. Upholding the spirit of cricket and supporting our players with dignity,” Sanjana wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The incident comes a day after Virat Kohli was fined 20% of his match fee and handed one demerit point for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during an on-field altercation.

The violation occurred on Day 1 of the Test match, when Kohli made inappropriate physical contact with Australian debutant Sam Konstas by bumping his shoulder after the 10th over. The situation escalated into a heated exchange, which was later diffused by Usman Khawaja.

Under Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct, inappropriate physical contact with players or officials is strictly prohibited. Kohli accepted the sanction proposed by Match Referee Andy Pycroft, avoiding the need for a formal hearing.

The charge was brought by on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, and fourth umpire Shawn Craig.

As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series continues to heat up, the spotlight remains on Virat Kohli, both for his performances on the field and the scrutiny he faces off it. With two days of play remaining in the Melbourne Test, Team India will look to bounce back from their challenging position and aim to keep their series hopes alive.