The pitch invasion incident took place in the second ODI between India and New Zealand in Raipur. During the second innings, captain Rohit Sharma nearly fell after a fan, who was being chased by security, breached security to hug the Indian captain. This video has gone viral on the internet recently as a fan invaded the pitch to meet Indian legend Virat Kohli during the Sri Lanka series, reiterating the blind fan following for cricketers in the country.
The incident happened in the 10th over of India’s chase of 109. Four balls had already been bowled as Rohit Sharma was about to take guard to face pacer Blair Tickner’s next ball when a young fan suddenly ran onto the pitch at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
watch – Hardik Pandya took an unbelievable catch off his own bowling
The fan hugged Rohit Sharma for just a second before the security chased him and tried to take the boy away from the Indian skipper and with the fan still in contact, he was about to collapse. However, he helped himself well and the fan was carried off the pitch. In a heart-warming gesture, Rohit tells the security, “Let him go, he is still a child.”
Here is the video of the incident:
A fan attacked and Rohit Sharma told security to let me go, “he’s a kid”.#Rohit Sharma #ICC #IndvsNZ2ndODI pic.twitter.com/11ae0TERUJ
– Avinash Madiwal (@madiwal_avinash) January 21, 2023
rohit fan pic.twitter.com/vH9hhQcpQj
— Saddam Ali (@SaddamAli7786) January 21, 2023
This is the first international game ever held in the capital of Chhattisgarh and this event may have an impact on the number of future games held in Raipur.
watch – Rohit Sharma forgot what to do after winning the toss in Raipur
For the game, Team India managed to bundle out New Zealand for a low score of 108 in a brilliant bowling performance. The Black Caps were reduced to 15/5 before the likes of Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips took their team’s score past 100. Fast bowler Mohammed Shami took three wickets.
Skipper Rohit Sharma struck a half-century early in the chase as the Men in Blue edged closer to sealing the series with Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill in the second game itself.
