Kolkata fans have always been known to bring the energy at the Eden Gardens, be it an international match or an IPL clash, the crowds are at the top of their game. Cheers, chants and frenzy—they never fail to spice up a match. The opening game of IPL 2025 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru was no exception. With the home team playing, a star-studded opening ceremony and the ‘Virat Kohli’ factor added to the mix, the build up was sheer madness.
Three days ahead of the match, fans had started queuing up outside the stadium to catch a glimpse of Kohli during RCB’s practice sessions. When the team bus would pull up, traffic would stop moving, fans would climb fences, swerve around security—all to get a good look at their hero.
During the practice sessions, fans who had managed to get access to the stands, would cheer for Kohli the second he stepped out on the ground. It was intriguing to watch how the crowd would migrate through the stands as Kohli moved around on the field and went from one net to another.
This continued on for the next couple of days, where every practice session would turn into a frenzy—all because of one man. It was a sneak-peek into the madness that was about to unleash on the day of the match. On the opening day, even 4 hours ahead of the match, the stadium was buzzing with fans, with queues already forming. As the crowds scaled, so did the excitement.
On the match front, RCB had dominated the first innings and were well in control of the game. Kohli and Phil Salt had come to open the innings and were cruising towards the target. Having spoken to several fans ahead of the game, there was a consensus, “We hope Virat Kohli performs well, puts on a show, but KKR wins,” said the loyal KKR fans.
Around the 13th over, when Kohli had just completed his half-century, a disruption around the G-Block stand halted the game. A fan had managed to evade the security and climb up the fence, jump over the many obstacles in his way and found his way to King Kohli’s feet.
We all know that he was later arrested and locked up in custody. But what we do not know is the backstory of the 18 year-old. What brought him to this extreme? How did his family react after finding out he had been arrested and banned from entering the stadium?
To find out the same, RevSportz reporter Debasis Sen made his way to Rhituparno Pakhira’s house, where he found out that despite being arrested and thrown in jail, Pakhira does not regret what he did, for he had fulfilled his dream—of meeting his ‘god’ and touching his feet. In the documentary, Pakhira recalled the moment he had met his idol and what the conversation was between the two.
Pakhira embodies the unapologetic madness of Indian cricket fans. The moment where he broke all rules to meet his idol is something that will stay with him, etched in his memory, forever. As we watched RCB decimate KKR, the day meant something else to Pakhira, and maybe that’s what cricket represents—the stories beyond the runs, the wickets and the trophies—about the fans who dare to dream, no matter the cost.