Virat Kohli is no stranger to controversy. The list includes showing the middle finger to crowds in Australia during a match, tussles with other players, and showing dissent to umpires.
However, it was what he did technically off the field during an IPL match between his franchise, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, and the Delhi Daredevils (Capitals) in 2015 that landed him in hot water.
The match, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, was interrupted by rain, and the players headed back to the pavilion. Kohli immediately headed to a nearby corridor, where Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma was waiting for him. The pair had been going out, and Sharma was there to watch Kohli in action.
In India, whenever two such high-profile figures meet, there is no hiding it from the public. Their footage flashed on the giant screen in the stadium, and the host broadcaster described the scene to the millions watching at home.
This, however, was a clear breach of Anti-Corruption Security Unit (ACSU) protocol, the ICC watchdog hired by the BCCI to monitor the activities of players both on the ground and in the team hotel. Their job is partly to educate players on the dangers of corruption in cricket and what to do if somebody makes an illegal approach.
Kohli was at fault because the game was technically still in progress at that point, and cricketers are forbidden to interact with non-cricketers in that period.
The ACSU was of the opinion that Kohli’s actions were immature, and that as the captain of the team, he should have been aware of the rules. Players’ acquaintances do attend matches, but usually watch from a separate enclosure. The cricketers do not interact with them during the match. Kohli was issued a warning not to repeat such behaviour.
In December 2017, the pair were married in secret in Italy. They now have a daughter together.