Virat Kohli made headlines on December 26, 2024, after a physical altercation with 19-year-old Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Kohli, while switching sides at the end of an over, nudged Konstas, who was in the midst of a dominant innings. The incident led to Kohli accepting responsibility, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed a fine on him, deducting 20% from his match fees.
Virat Kohli’s match fees in Test cricket are set at 15 lakhs for each Test match. However, due to the 20% fine imposed by the ICC, Kohli will lose 3 lakhs from his match fees. As a result, he will take home 12 lakhs from the Melbourne Test after the deduction.
Earlier this year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced a new scheme that hikes the match fees for regular Test players. Under this scheme, players who feature in more than 75% of India’s Test matches in a year would earn an additional 30 lakhs, bringing their total to 45 lakhs per match.
However, Kohli has played only 10 out of the 15 Test matches in 2024, meaning his participation rate is below 75%. As a result, he does not qualify for the additional 30 lakhs, and thus his earnings remain limited to the standard 15 lakhs per Test, with a 20% fine deduction.
In summary, Kohli will earn 12 lakhs for the Melbourne Test, with no additional fee increase due to his lower participation rate in 2024.
