On Sunday (19th November), the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia was interrupted by a few minutes as a pitch intruder stopped the match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The pitch invader was a Palestine supporter from Australia wearing a t-shirt with pro-Palestine slogans.
#INDvsAUSfinal #IsraelPalestineWar #Palestine_Genocide fan invaded world cup final . Stop bombing palestine written on tshirt pic.twitter.com/jEQT4ucFvi
— yuvastra (@yuvastra) November 19, 2023
The incident unfolded during the 14th over, as a pitch invader successfully evaded the security cordon and entered the field. Wearing a t-shirt bearing the message “Stop bombing Palestine” on the front and “Free Palestine” on the back, the man also carried an LGBTQ flag and had the Palestine flag displayed on his face mask. He was wearing red shorts with the white T-shirt with pro-Palestine slogans. This action by the intruder is seemingly against the war between Israel and Hamas that started on 7th October 2023 when Hamas terrorists attacked Israel.
Kohli makes a new friend. #CWC2023Final #CWC23 #INDvsAUSfinal #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/S5S92RXP9x
— Robert Cianflone (@Sportsnapper71) November 19, 2023
Despite the heightened security measures, he reached the pitch and embraced Virat Kohli, who was batting alongside KL Rahul after India suffered three rapid wicket losses. This intruder was immediately taken off the field by the ground staff of the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium Ahmedabad where the final match of this ICC Cricket World Cup is being played, and was subsequently arrested.
Following the arrest, the man said that his name is John and he is from Australia. He was taken to the Chandkheda Police Station in Ahmedabad from the stadium. He said that he entered the field because he wanted to meet Virat Kohli, and he was wearing that T-shirt because he supports Palestine. After his arrest, he was seen in a yellow T-shirt, not the white shirt with slogans he was seen in the field. However, he didn’t change into the yellow jersey of the Australian cricket team, it was a yellow shirt with BookMyShow Logo.
#WATCH | Gujarat: The man who breached the security & entered the field during the India vs Australia Final match, says, "My name is John…I am from Australia. I entered (the field) to meet Virat Kohli. I support Palestine…" pic.twitter.com/5vrhkuJRnw
— ANI (@ANI) November 19, 2023
Ironically, the Palestine supporter was carrying an LGBTQ Pride rainbow flag. This is ironic because, like other Islamic nations, Palestine also follows the Islamic Sharia law, where homosexuality is banned. In Hamas-controlled Gaza, homosexuality is a punishable offence, and several persons found guilty have been either executed or put in jails for long term.
This is serious…. Damn damn serious….
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) November 19, 2023
How can authorities allow such things to happen? These are potential terrorists & they managed to enter the ground… #INDvsAUSfinal #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/zvVczpgYVC
In the final match, India’s captain Rohit Sharma notched up a quick 47, but both Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer faced setbacks, departing with only 4 runs each. This unfolded subsequent to Australia winning the toss, with skipper Pat Cummins opting for an unexpected decision to bowl first on a sluggish pitch in the world’s largest cricket stadium.
The opening partnership between Rohit and Gill yielded 30 runs before Mitchell Starc dismissed Gill in the 5th over. Despite Rohit and Gill’s efforts, the former fell short of a half-century, succumbing to Glenn Maxwell’s bowling while attempting to accelerate the scoring. Cummins added to India’s woes by claiming Iyer’s wicket in his second over, leaving the 1.30 lakh Indian fans at the venue in stunned silence.
Neither team has made any changes for this match. India is in pursuit of their third ODI World Cup title, the first in a dozen years, while the Australians aim to secure their sixth championship, should they emerge victorious in this pivotal encounter.
