Kohli fan breaches Eden security amidst ongoing IPL match, lands in police custody
Telegraph | 26 March 2025
A youth was arrested for scaling the iron fence at Eden Gardens, jumping into the field and diving at Virat Kohli’s feet during the IPL inaugural match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday.
Rhituparno Pakhira jumped into the field after Kohli completed his half-century.
He was arrested on Saturday night and booked under charges of criminal trespassing and using criminal force against a public servant. If found guilty he can be jailed for a maximum of two years.
Pakhira is a resident of Jamalpur in East Burdwan. He scaled the iron fencing along the G Block at 10.27pm and then jumped over the boundary fence to enter the field.
The youth, who appeared for his HS exams this year, ran uninterrupted to the pitch.
Pakhira’s mother Kakoli and elder sister Priti said the youth used to go for cricket coaching classes in Burdwan and also at a club in Beleghata.
“Virat is like a God to him (Rhituparno). We request Virat Kohli and other players to forgive him,” his mother told reporters. He dived at Kohli’s feet, refusing to let go for a few seconds, and then rose to give his idol a bear hug. Security personnel dragged him out of the field soon.
“He applied criminal force on the on-duty police personnel to scale the fencing... and endangered the life and safety of the players,” said an officer of Kolkata Police.
Officers of Maidan police station formally arrested him. He was produced before the court on Sunday.
“Virat is my God. I can do anything for him,” Pakhira said while being taken to the Bankshal court on Sunday.
When the magistrate asked him why he did it, Pakhira said that it was a “childhood dream” to touch his idol’s feet, said police sources.
Neither the BCCI nor CAB has specific rules against fans who break the law to enter the field. It is left to the police and other security agencies to deal with such matters.
“It is up to the police and the law agencies to assess the threat perception of a situation. There are no specific guidelines on this (breach of the field). However, there are stringent rules by the ICC (International Cricket Council) if someone is found making racial remarks. In that case, the person can be banned from entering the grounds,” BCCI sources said.
The public prosecutor said the young man’s act could have been disastrous like the attack on former tennis star Monica Seles. “We need his remand as this is a matter of security of the players. There could be his friends who instigated him. Many may be thinking of repeating what he did. We need to question him,” said the public prosecutor.
Pakhira’s lawyer, however, objected to the prosecution’s submission that he had used force on a policeman to enter the field.