NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India has reprimanded Virat Kohli after the star batsman was accused of abusing an Indian journalist at a practice session in Perth during the World Cup.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur says Kohli “has been told to maintain the dignity of the Indian team at all times and avoid any such behavior in the future.”

“The BCCI has been in touch with the Indian team management on this issue, and has advised that this kind of incident should not be repeated.

“The BCCI respects the role played by the media in covering and popularizing the game of cricket, and acknowledges the support of the media, in its mission to administer and promote the game of cricket in India.

Kohli was accused of abusing Jasvinder Sidhu, a journalist with the Hindustan Times, mistaking him for somebody else who had published a negative story about the batsman’s girlfriend.

The journalist complained to the International Cricket Council and BCCI about the unprovoked verbal attack in full view of journalists and team officials, but Indian team management denied that any abusive language had been used.

The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon at the Murdoch Oval in Perth where India were training ahead of their Pool B match against the West Indies at the city’s WACA ground on Friday.

As soon as he wrapped up his net session, Kohli stormed to the sidelines and let off a volley of expletives at a horrified Indian reporter, eyewitnesses said.

The visibly shaken journalist wondered why Kohli had pounced on him without any possible provocation — until it was found to be a case of mistaken identity.

It’s understood that Kohli had actually planned to target a reporter from another Indian newspaper apparently for writing about his personal life.

Realising his mistake, Kohli offered his apologies through an intermediary, also a reporter.

He told the intermediary to inform Kohli that such behavior was not expected from an international sportsman even if it was not directed at him.

“Go and tell him that he is an international player and he should learn how to behave,” the journalist said. “How can he abuse and intimidate someone?

“I would like to add that Kohli did not apologize to me directly.”

Sources said the temperamental Kohli, next in line for the India captaincy after Mahendra Singh Dhoni, had been spoken to and told to ensure such incidents were not repeated.

The bust-up added to an already fragile relationship between the traveling journalists and the team, which has avoided all media contact outside the mandatory press conferences before and after a match.

Defending champions India have had a good start in the tournament, winning all their three matches against old foes Pakistan, mighty South Africa and minnows United Arab Emirates.