"I Fell...": Bangladesh Super Fan Changes Tune Amid Assault Row During Kanpur Test

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 early 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 as 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