IPL 2024: KKR fan refuses to return ball from stands, policeman retrieves it by force

In match No. 60 in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, May 11, a fan faced the wrath of a policeman after refusing to return a ball.

In a rain-curtailed affair, Mumbai captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to field first. The KKR batters hit a total of nine sixes en route to a score of 157/7 in 16 overs. One of those sixes was hit to a KKR fan, who was wearing a Rinku Singh jersey, and the youngster tried to hide the ball inside his trousers. However, he had to eventually return the ball after being confronted by an irate policeman.

The video of the incident between the fan and the policeman went instantly viral, as one of the other fans present at the scene uploaded the video on social media.

Watch the video here:

After retrieving the ball, the policeman tossed it back to the field. He focused his attention back to the fan and pushed him away from the area. The on duty personnel did not stop there, as he kept pushing the youngster further, probably trying to force him out of the venue.

The KKR fan probably wanted to keep the ball to himself as a souvenir but his plans were foiled by the alert policeman. The sport-loving city of Kolkata didn't disappoint in IPL 2024, as fans packed the stadium to the rafters in all the seven home games that the former two-time champions played.

After the match, which was Knight Riders' last home game, the players went on a lap of honour to show their gratitude to the fans who had supported them through thick and thin. The Knights also launched several tennis balls into the crowd as a return gift for their supporters. The moment was all the more special as the hosts had just completed the double against Mumbai Indians, winning the match by 16 runs and assuring themselves a place in the playoffs.

KKR set to finish in top two after rain Gods play spoilsport in Ahmedabad

After the win against Mumbai, KKR embarked on a trip to Ahmedabad to face Gujarat Titans on Monday, May 13. However, the match was abandoned due to persistent rainfall. Shubman Gill-led Titans' campaign ended with this result, as they became the third team to get eliminated.

Also Read: IPL 2024 Playoffs Qualification Scenarios for Each Team after GT vs KKR, Match 633

Meanwhile, the Knight Riders moved to 19 points from 13 matches and are now guaranteed a finish in the top two. This means that after their last league game against Rajasthan Royals on May 19, Shreyas Iyer and Co. would return to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to play Qualifier 1 on May 21.