Bangladesh fan claims he was assaulted before dehydration U-turn

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Kanpur: On an opening day when only 35 overs of play was possible due to rain and bad light, a controversy in the stands at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium grabbed some unwanted attention. It had to do with Tiger Robi, a Bangladeshi supporter who was attending day one of the second Test, being allegedly beaten on Friday afternoon.

Robi was taken to Regency Hospital by local police immediately after the incident. He is said to be fine. According to the police, however, Robi had been feeling unwell prior to arriving for the match and fainted due to the heat.

“He is fine now, and we took him to Regency Hospital for a check-up. There was no assault, just a case of heat exhaustion,” a police official at the hospital said.

Later in the day, Robi, who earlier said that he had been beaten up, made a U-turn on his claim, stating that he was hospitalised after his health deteriorated. In the video that was recorded while he was lying on his hospital bed, Robi said he was unwell, and that the police brought him to the hospital.

“I am feeling better now,” said Robi, while also stating that he is from Khulna district in Bangladesh.

Before the U-turn, Robi had alleged that he was physically assaulted by a group of local fans during the lunch break. He had also said that he was abused by a section of the crowd before going and standing in the unauthorised C stand. The stand has been closed by Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) for this Test over structural concerns in the lead-up.

This is not the first time in the recent past that there has been controversy surrounding a Bangladeshi fan at an Indian stadium. During the ODI World Cup last year, Shoaib Ali Bukhari, known as ‘Tiger Shoaib’, was targeted by the Indian fans during a game in the preliminary phase between India and Bangladesh in Pune. The huge tiger mascot that he carries with him to matches was torn apart.

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