Pitch Invader Hugs Rohit Sharma During India vs Bangladesh T20 World Cup Warm-Up; US Police Intervene

In a warm-up game for the T20 World Cup 2024, India secured a decisive 60-run victory over Bangladesh at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. The match, held on June 1, 2024, was marked by a pitch invader who was tackled by police after hugging Indian captain Rohit Sharma.

Rishabh Pant was the standout performer for India, scoring a breezy half-century to help his team post a formidable total of 182/5 in 20 overs. Pant's return to form, after his horrific car crash in December 2022, was a significant boost for the Indian side. Hardik Pandya also contributed with an unbeaten 40 off 23 balls, including three consecutive sixes off left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam.

India's bowling unit was equally impressive, with Arshdeep Singh leading the charge. Singh's brilliant new ball spell saw him take two early wickets, dismissing Soumya Sarkar and Litton Das. Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube also made vital contributions, with Siraj taking the wicket of Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Dube picking up two wickets for just 11 runs.

The match took a dramatic turn when a fan breached security and sprinted towards Rohit Sharma during India's fielding. The pitch invader was quickly tackled by security staff and taken away. Rohit Sharma was seen gesturing to the security personnel to go easy on the fan, but they remained firm in their response. American cricket journalist Vignesh Bharadwaj warned potential pitch invaders, stating, "Beware. If you try to run onto a cricket field in New York during this T20 World Cup, the NY State Troopers & NYPD are not going to giggle and gently escort you off the field like Jarvo. You will get tackled American football style and handcuffed straight to jail."

Post-match, Rohit Sharma expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance, stating, "Quite happy with how things went. Pretty much got what we wanted from the game... Like I said at the toss, it was important to get used to the conditions, new venue, new ground, drop-in pitch... important to get used to it, and we managed pretty well."

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto acknowledged his team's shortcomings, particularly in batting, but remained optimistic about their prospects in the tournament. He said, "The bowlers did a great job... We did not do well with the batting, but I hope we will do well in the tournament... We are not thinking about what has happened before. We know how capable we are, we have to be brave and execute our plans."

This warm-up game provided valuable practice for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, with India taking positives from their performance and Bangladesh identifying areas for improvement. The main tournament promises to bring more thrills as the teams clash for the coveted trophy.

Key Takeaways

• India beats Bangladesh by 60 runs in T20 World Cup 2024 warm-up game.
• Rishabh Pant scores 50, Hardik Pandya contributes 40* in India's 182/5.
• Arshdeep Singh takes 2 wickets, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube also impress.
• Pitch invader tackled by police after hugging Rohit Sharma during the game.
• Both teams take positives from the warm-up game ahead of the main tournament.