Virat Kohli fake fielding: What is fake fielding in cricket? Is fake fielding allowed in cricket?

In a match where he was adjudged the Player of the Match for scoring a match-winning half-century, former India captain Virat Kohli also ended up at the receiving end of accusations of fake fielding. Bangladesh wicket-keeper batter Nurul Hasan, who made the accusations while interacting with press reporters after the match, pointed a finger at Kohli’s “fake throw” before the rain break.

It all had happened right after the powerplay when Bangladesh opening batter Litton Das cut India all-rounder Axar Patel towards Arshdeep Singh at sweeper cover.

With Das and opening partner Najmul Hossain Shanto wanting to run a second run as well, Kohli did gesture as if he had collected the ball from Singh before attempting to throw it at the non-striker’s end.

In all honesty, the ball had never come in contact with Kohli at point. As a matter of fact, Singh threw the ball directly to wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik.

Virat Kohli fake fielding

Contrary to some fan-made explanations across social media platforms, Kohli did seem to have attempted to do something which is not allowed in cricket irrespective of his intentions. So, does Kohli’s actions classify as fake fielding? Yes. Should Bangladesh been awarded five runs and an additional delivery because of the same? No.

A primary reason for the second answer is because of MCC’s law concerning this subject matter. Readers must note that fake fielding comes under Law 41.5 which is based on “Deliberate distraction, deception or obstruction of batsman”. Furthermore, the law is only applicable when the batter(s) has been deliberately distracted or deceived and not when he/she is perceived to be distracted or deceived.

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In this particular case, neither of the two batters were even watching Kohli doing what he did. The video of the incident clearly states that both Das and Shanto had their focus on completing the second run without watching the ball/fielder(s)/throw. Hence, there wasn’t any room for distraction. Apart from the batters, Kohli’s gestures weren’t even noticed by on-field umpires Chris Brown and Marais Erasmus.

According to Law 41.5.1, “In addition to 41.4, it is unfair for any fielder willfully to attempt, by word or action, to distract, deceive or obstruct either batsman after the striker has received the ball.”

It is important for fans to understand that fielding teams aren’t punished for fake fielding according to the aforementioned law. Instead, they are punished if one or both batters are distracted or deceived by that act of fake fielding.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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