Cricket WC Final: A pitch invader alongside India's Virat Kohli wearing a shirt in support of Palestine at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, November 19, 2023.
Reuters Photo
An Australian national, wearing a t-shirt that read "Free Palestine" and "Stop Bombing Palestine," breached the security of Narendra Modi Stadium and invaded the pitch, causing a brief interruption during the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup final between India and Australia on Sunday.
The man, identified as Wen Johnson, a resident of Australia, managed to reach the pitch and tried to hug Virat Kohli who was then batting with KL Rahul in the 14th over. Police said that he lives in Sydney and is 24 years old. After interrogation, the man was handed over to local Chandkheda police station under whose jurisdiction the stadium falls.
The stadium, hailed as the largest cricket stadium in the world, is packed with over 1.25 lakh spectators. The Ahmedabad police have deployed about 6,000 police personnel for security, with the majority stationed at the stadium.
Security measures have been intensified in anticipation of the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, and numerous VVIPs and celebrities who will be attending the final.