IND vs BAN 2nd Test: What happened to Bangladeshi fan Tiger Robi in Kanpur?

Explained: What is the controversy involving a Bangladeshi fan in Kanpur on Day 1 of India vs Bangladesh 2nd Test at Green Park Stadium.

Security officials at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur sprang into action during the lunch break on Friday when both the India and Bangladesh teams had just entered the dressing room. Contrary to initial speculation, the commotion was not due to fans charging onto the field - which would be an usual affair during India match - but rather because a Bangladeshi fan, Tiger Robi, fainted and was seen in pain near Balcony C Stand.

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Timeline of events

The India vs Bangladesh 2nd Test began at 10:30 AM IST under overcast conditions. The weather was pleasant, with clouds hovering over the stadium and a gentle breeze blowing.

11 AM IST: After a one-hour delay due to overnight rain, the match began. A Bangladeshi fan, dressed in a Bengal Tiger costume, was seen cheering for his team. He appeared to be the only Bangladeshi fan in that section of the stands.

12:30 PM IST: As the lunch break commenced, a commotion broke out. Reports initially suggested that a Bangladeshi fan had been assaulted by a group of Indian supporters.

12:45 PM IST: Tiger Robi, the fan in question, alleged that a group of Indian fans had attacked him. However, the police refuted this claim, stating that Robi had collapsed due to dehydration.

Here is what Tiger Robi said when he was carried away from Kanpur Stadium:

"A section of the crowd has been abusing me since the morning. Once lunch was called I just started shouting the names of Najmul Shanto and Mominul Haque. Few of them started shoving me around, tried to tear my mascot (Tiger) and my flag, and when I resisted they started hitting me," Tiger Robi was quoted as saying by Indian Express, when he was being carried away from the Stadium.

 

However, after receiving medical attention, Tiger Robi changed his statement regarding the incident.

"My health had deteriorated. The police brought me to the hospital, and after treatment, I am feeling much better. My name is Robi. I am from Khulna district in Bangladesh, and my father's name is Hasan Ali," he said after treatment at the hospital.

Police statement

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kalyanpur, Abhishek Pandey, denied the assault claims made by Robi, saying:

“He collapsed due to dehydration. Police and medical staff rushed to assist him immediately, and he was taken to the hospital. He is now feeling better. The speculation about an assault is completely false. No fan hit him.”

At the time of reporting, Tiger Robi was still receiving treatment in the Regency hospital in Kanpur, but his CT scan and X-ray results were normal.