Pitch invader with ‘Free Palestine’ T-shirt runs up to Virat Kohli during India vs Australia World Cup final

Man enters field reportedly to meet Kohli and even gets close enough to put his arm around India’s star cricketer

A pitch invader wearing a shirt with messages supporting Palestine breached security on Sunday at the cricket venue of the India versus Australia ICC World Cup 2023 final match in India’s Ahmedabad.

The spectator entered the field reportedly to meet Virat Kohli and even got close enough to put his arm around India’s star cricketer before being arrested by the police, according to reports.

India took on Australia in the 2023 cricket World Cup final on Sunday in a bid to win their first major ICC global event since 2011.

The match at the Narendra Modi stadium in the western state of Gujarat was interrupted for a few minutes in the 14th over of Indian innings as the man was seen running up to Kohli wearing a white T-shirt, a face mask with Palestinian flag print, and red trousers.

The front of his T-shirt read “Stop Bombing Palestine” while the back had “Free Palestine” message printed on it.

Police were quick to take him off the field and a video later showed him being taken to the Chandkheda police station in Ahmedabad dressed in a yellow T-shirt.

The man was filmed by news agency ANI at the police station as saying that he entered the field to meet Kohli.