'Sam Konstas father of Virat Kohli?': Viral edited Wiki claim after on-field clash leaves fans fuming

As Virat Kohli faces scrutiny after a shoulder bump with debutant Sam Konstas, an Australian writer's X post has left fans angry.

After Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is making headlines again after video footage showed him intentionally bump into Australia’s 19-year-old debutant, Sam Konstas on the field during India's fourth Test match against the Aussies. The two cricketers also engaged in a verbal altercation after the collision.

Virat Kohli was involved in a heated altercation with Sam Konstas in the fourth test match

In a interview, Konstas revealed that he didn't realise what happened as he was just taking care of his gloves after the end of the over. "I think emotions got to both of us. I didn't realise. I was just doing my gloves when I got the little shoulder charge but it happens in cricket," he told Channel 7.

Australian writer draws heat

Australian journalist and cricketer writer Peter Lalor joined in the conversation around the clash and shared a screenshot of what appears to be an edited Wikipedia entry for Sam Konstas. The image shows that the 19-year-old cricketer's Wikipedia bio reads: "He is also the father of Virat Kholi."

"Oh this is a bit mischievous. Konstas father of Kohli," the journalist wrote.

HT.com checked the Australian batsman's Wikipedia page but found no such entry. The image was either edited or the addition has since been removed. The post drew sharp reactions as users slammed Lalor for sharing

"Seriously Peter? Laughing on a silly Wikipedia edit by some random fan. This is embarrassing. You're a journalist. Behave like one," said one user. "And I though you were a grown man," said another user.

Other fans took a less dignified approach and shared edited versions of Wikipedia entries for Lalor and Australia to mock the writer.

On-field clash sparks meme fest

The video of the exchange has sparked a meme fest on social media with some criticising Kohli for his aggressive stance while other defending him for hitting back at the Australian team which is known for frequent sledging on the field. Here are some of the reactions:

Can Kohli be banned for confrontation?

Match referee Andy Pycroft will assess the incident between Kohli and Konstas to determine if the Code of Conduct was breached. According to the ICC's Code of Conduct, "any form of inappropriate physical contact is prohibited in cricket."

If Pycroft determines that the shoulder bump was as a Level Two offence, either Kohli or Konstas could face accumulation of four demerit points which would trigger a suspension. This could rule the cricketer out of the next test match. A Level One offence, however, would likely result in a match fee fine, with no further repercussions.