A quiet afternoon at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium turned chaotic as Roby, a fervent Bangladesh cricket fan who dons a tiger outfit to show his support, found himself at the center of an unsettling episode. Minutes after the lunch break, and the brief drizzle had stopped, a scene unfolded near the media entrance gate: police constables were seen carrying an almost lifeless Roby. The media’s curiosity was piqued, and a closer inspection revealed that Roby was conscious, though clearly troubled.
Upon being questioned, Roby animatedly pointed to his hip, attempting between sobs to explain his plight. His words were fragmented, and those who could decipher some of his Bengali concluded that he claimed to have been beaten. He tried to show his marks of injury, but they were concealed under his elaborate tiger attire. Witnesses, familiar with Roby’s often exaggerated reactions, were divided on the severity of his claims.
One seasoned cameraman, abandoning his freshly lit cigarette, hurried over. Here was the claim of an enthusiastic supporter supposedly maltreated amidst a match meant to bring nations together through sport. The incident raised eyebrows, especially considering the efforts of the local authorities in Kanpur to establish their credentials as effective organizers against the backdrop of growing competition from the new cricket center in Lucknow.
The immediate responses from surrounding policemen offered varied, often conflicting, assessments:
“Pata nahi, Bangali mein kuch bol raha hai” (Not sure, he’s saying something in Bengali).
“Pet pakad kar gir gaya tha. Gas hua hoga shaayad” (He was holding his stomach, must be some gastric trouble).
“Arey, kuch nahi hua. Nautanki hai” (Nothing happened, he’s being dramatic).
A more dismissive take came from one officer: “That possibility doesn’t arise at all. We have CCTV cameras everywhere.” However, requests to view the footage were subsequently ignored, shrouding the truth in further mystery.
Before this altercation, for nearly two hours, Roby had been seen energetically dancing and waving his Bangladesh flag from a rarely used part of the ‘C Stand’, closed to the public for safety reasons.
. Accounts differ on how he ended up there. Some suggest organizers wanted to keep him apart from the Indian crowd, while others believe he ventured there by choice. Regardless, once noticed, he was moved to where other spectators sat, albeit with visible hesitation.
The confrontation with Indian fans escalated soon after. Eyewitnesses reported that Roby provoked nearby fans with abusive language. Attempts by some spectators to desist him from waving his flag led to heated arguments. At one point, an Indian fan was seen roughly holding Roby’s shoulder. However, it remains unclear whether Roby was physically assaulted, as Cricbuzz could not confirm these details.
In the aftermath, Roby was transported to a hospital roughly half an hour away in a production van where he underwent X-ray and CT scans.
Assistant Commissioner of Police from Kalyanpur, Abhishek Pandey, later shared an official version of events, claiming Roby’s distress was a result of being unwell, leading to his collapse. This account was seemingly supported by Roby in a video shot at the hospital and distributed by the police.
Eventually, the off-field drama calmed as another spell of heavier, forecasted rain interrupted the game at Green Park. India had opted to field, a rarity in home Tests since 2015, and their efforts saw mixed fortunes with Akash Deep and Ashwin impressing but Bangladesh standing firm at 107 for 3 in 35 overs before the downpour.
Outside the playing area, other curious scenes unfolded: school children settled into their seats, a monkey menace was managed by langurs summoned by security, and brief protests by right-wing groups echoed outside the stadium, decrying the hosting of a Bangladesh team amidst political tensions in their home country. The protest, after some loud sloganeering, faded away quickly.
In Kanpur, the day’s mix of tumultuous incidents underscored the unpredictability of cricket in India. The match, intended to focus on World Test Championship points, instead highlighted cricket’s potential to simultaneously embody the sublime and the ridiculous, the contentious and the comedic. And somewhere in between, the game quietly persevered.