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Rhituparno Pakhira is now out on bail. He spent two nights in jail and had his parents worried. He is now banned from watching IPL games. And yet, he doesn’t regret jumping over the fence and doing what he did – touching and literally worshipping Virat Kohli. This was almost like revisiting what Sudhir Gautam, Sachin Tendulkar fan, did two decades ago. He too jumped over the fence to touch his idol, and got hammered by the police in the process. That was when Sachin stepped in and drilled sense into him.
There is a slight difference here between Rhituparno and Jarvo, a repeat offender at cricket games. The first is a diehard fan who broke the law and has paid a price for it. He isn’t a scheming rascal like Jarvo is. And we hope he has learnt his lesson, that it isn’t worth jumping the fence and giving his parents sleepless nights. What can happen from here on is that he too becomes a Sudhir and adds to fandom. Channelise his passion into enriching the sport without becoming a nuisance.
Going deeper, what explains this fandom? Why would someone want to break the law and do what he did? Wasn’t he not scared of public humiliation? Of getting thrashed by the police? Spending time in jail and getting a criminal record? What justifies his stupidity?
🚨Rhituparno Pakhira, the fan who climbed the fences at Eden Gardens to touch the feet of #ViratKohli has no regret for his act but also shares an important message for all fans.@debasissen captures the emotions of Rhituparno, his family, neighbours and friends in this… pic.twitter.com/JdGn38q7NX
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) March 26, 2025
When my colleague Debasis Sen tracked him down in his village and asked him all these questions, two things came to light. He was desperate to meet Kohli. And second, was willing to risk everything to do so. That Kohli went and spoke to the cops was like God’s sermon for him.
First things first, no fan should do this. No one should take the liberty of breaking the law and putting players and others at risk. And yet, like Sudhir, we can hope that Rhituparno emerges a better person from this mistake and contributes to the sport going forward. For most of us, Kohli is a player. A great player, yes, but a player. For these men, he is God. And maybe, these are the people who make Indian cricket what it is. The irrationality, the stupidity and the craziness. While I will always condemn such actions, maybe I will never, from my sanitised position of access, be able to understand these people. Why would you want to jump from 10 feet and run the risk of injuring yourself?
The problem is that I am trying to see things logically. These fans don’t. They just do things on the spur of the moment. That’s where fandom needs to be sanitised. Moderated perhaps. Sachin did so for Sudhir, and look at what we have today. He is there in every stadium and is the face of every documentary. Rhituparno could do the same. Who knows, Kohli might just do the same for him that Sachin did for Sudhir.
Even if he doesn’t, fandom is now a standalone industry where men and women can do much if they are smart. That’s where he should channelise his madness and his passion. Not jump the fence, but jump the queue of superfans by trying to enrich the sport. That’s when he can make a difference to the sport. Anything else, and he stays a law-breaker.
Maybe the Sudhirs and Rhituparnos make Indian cricket what it is – Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles – RevSportz
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