Bangla fan hospitalised after ‘falling ill’ at Kanpur stadium

A well-known Bangladeshi cricket fan, who dresses as a tiger, had to be hospitalised after "falling ill" while watching the second Test against India at the Green Park Stadium here, an incident that he first indicated to be a case of physical assault.

Self-proclaimed super fan Robi, who is a regular in his team's games and is often seen on camera waving the Bangladeshi flag, was in stand C and had to be carried out of the stadium in a state of distress.

"He was gasping for breath when he met a constable. He became unconscious before we could speak to him, but now he is fine," Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Harish Chander told PTI.

During a brief interaction with media, Robi indicated that he had been punched in his abdomen during an altercation. However, in a statement issued from his hospital bed later, he said he merely felt unwell and was given the requisite assistance by the local police.

"I fell ill and the police brought me to the hospital. Now I am feeling much better. My name is Robi and I have come from Bangladesh," he stated in a short video clip.

Abhishek Pandey, ACP (Kalyanpur), said Robi received immediate medical care and insisted that he had not been assaulted as alleged in earlier reports.

"During the Test match between India and Bangladesh, one of the spectators whose name is Tiger, suddenly fell ill," the officer stated.

"As soon as he fell ill, he was picked up by the police and was sent to the medical team for treatment. He is fine now and a liaison officer has been attached to him so that he can get help if needed.

"There were some reports of assault but these are baseless, no such incident happened with him. He might have taken a fall, this is what we have been able to gather," he added.

Earlier, an Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association official said Robi could barely communicate when he was carried out.

"As he came out of the stands, he was wincing in pain and seemed to be fainting. He was given a chair to sit but he fell," the official said.

The opening day of the Test ended early due to rain with the visiting side on 107/3. Bangladesh lost the opening game by 280 runs.

In a video posted on social media on Thursday, Robi had claimed that "there is a conspiracy to hurt Bangladeshi supporters" during the Kanpur Test.

"But we are ready for the possibility that we might be stopped from entering the stadium. In that case we will sit outside and support the team," he had said.

"I know that I might face trouble but I am ready for that," he added.