Bangladesh Super Fan Tiger Roby Assaulted During 2nd Test Against India, Hospitalized: Report

Chaos erupted at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on Friday when a Bangladeshi cricket fan, also known as ‘Tiger Roby’, was taken to the hospital after reportedly being attacked by fellow spectators. The incident took place during the second Test match between India and Bangladesh, with Roby stating that he had been hit on his back and lower abdomen.

The security personnel quickly intervened and escorted the fan to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention. Roby, visibly shaken, told Sportstar, “They hit me on my back and lower abdomen, and I could not breathe.”

In a video posted by news agency PTI, Roby could be seen in immense pain as he could barely speak, explaining through gestures that he was hit on his back and lower abdomen. He claimed the public beat him.

The report from Sportstar further mentions that local police at the venue refuted the claims of an assault. According to law enforcement at the stadium, the fan was discovered near the C Block entrance struggling to breathe and barely able to speak. A police source suggested that the fan’s condition might have been caused by dehydration rather than an altercation with other spectators.

In a chat with Indian Express, Roby further claimed that the crowd had been hurling abuses at him since the start of the day's play and that he had climbed to the balcony to keep himself safe. “A cop told me not to stand at that block. I was there only because I was scared. They were hurling abuses since morning. I have watched enough Bollywood movies to understand the abuses,” he told the newspaper.

This isn't the first instance of tensions between Indian and Bangladesh cricket fans escalating into violence. During the 2023 ODI World Cup match in Pune between India and Bangladesh, another well-known Bangladesh supporter, Shoaib Ali Bukhari, popularly known as ‘Tiger Shoaib’, was targeted by Indian fans. Bukhari’s iconic tiger mascot was also torn apart.

In the lead-up to the Kanpur Test, security was bolstered at Green Park Stadium amid rising concerns about protests from the Hindu Mahasabha. The organization had threatened to demonstrate during the match, citing "atrocities" on Hindus in Bangladesh as the reason.