The fan jumped fence, invaded the field and touched Kohli's feet and hugged him.
Rituparno Pakhira, 18, described his response to meeting his idol, RCB superstar Virat Kohli, after jumping the fence at Eden Gardens to invade the field and greet him during the KKR vs. RCB IPL 2025 match.
Pakhira, an aspiring cricketer, hopped over the fence, surprising the security guards, and dashed towards batting great Virat Kohli.
He touched Kohli's feet and spoke briefly with the former India and RCB captain before being led out of the event. He was then seized and detained in Maidan Thana. The police punished him for breaching the security, and he was brought before a judge and granted release the following day.
He may have broken the law and gotten himself arrested for it but for the 18-year-old Rituparno Pakhira the pain was worth meeting his ‘God’.
“I am very happy despite what happened. Virat is god to me and am happy that I could meet my god. When Virat reached his fifty, I thought this was the moment and I jumped in. After I greeted him, he asked my name and hugged me. He then told me ‘Bhai tu chala ja abhi’ (You should leave now). He also asked security to not do anything to me,” Pakhira told News18.
Pakhira arrived in Burdwan on Monday, still living in his dream world as a result of the weird turn of events. His family has been dealing with mixed feelings.
Pakhira's mother was particularly angered by his conduct, but she told him to continue training hard if he wanted to be a cricketer. However, his father and sister, who have always supported him, have been unable to condone his new actions.
Pakhira has learned his lesson and swears not to repeat the activities that led to his rivalry. He wants to pursue his ambition of becoming a cricketer.
“I am poor and searching for a good camp (to become a better cricketer). Now that I have met my god maybe, I will start playing better," Pakhira said.