During the Cricket World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia, a fan breached security and invaded the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, hugging Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli. The incident occurred during the 14th over of the match when a fan wearing a ‘Free Palestine’ T-shirt rushed onto the field and embraced Kohli before being apprehended by stadium security. The fan was quickly removed from the ground, and the match resumed without any delay.
Earlier in the match, Australian captain Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to field against the Indian team led by Rohit Sharma. Sharma played aggressively in the powerplay, scoring 47 runs off 31 balls. He took on Australia’s formidable pace bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, hitting three sixes and four boundaries. However, Sharma was eventually caught by Travis Head, followed by Shreyas Iyer being dismissed by Pat Cummins, putting pressure on the Indian team.
Despite the pitch favoring the bowlers, both teams did not make any changes to their playing eleven. Australia’s decision to put India in to bat seemed to pay off as they managed to restrict the hosts to 97 for three in 15 overs. Kohli, who joined Sharma in the middle, contributed to the momentum with three consecutive fours off Starc.
The incident involving the fan invading the pitch overshadowed the thrilling encounter between the two cricketing giants. Security breaches of this nature are taken very seriously in sports events, and it highlights the need for stricter security measures to ensure the safety of players and spectators alike.
