Bangladesh fan who met Rohit Sharma before IND vs BAN match harassed in Pune Stadium, his stuffed tiger tore apart

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World Cup 2023: Bangladesh cricket team superfan 'Tiger' Shoaib Ali was subject to harassment during the India vs Bangladesh of the ongoing World Cup 2023 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA) in Pune on Thursday.

The incident happened after India thrashed Bangladesh by seven wickets to remain unbeaten in the ICC marquee event. A group of Indian spectators tore apart the stuffed tiger of Shoaib Ali.

The Bangladesh superfan dresses up like a tiger and sports a Bangladesh flag on his back. He also carries a tiger mascot with him every time he goes to the ground to support the Bangladesh cricket team.

In a video which has gone viral, the miscreants can be seen holding the torn stuffed tiger with its tail. Others with him can be seen sharing a laugh and playing with the spilled stuffing before throwing the mascot away with a lot of disrespect.

'Tiger Shoaib' was emotionally hurt by the harassment he was subjected to in Pune. Some Indians fans came to his rescue later and even extended their apology. Shoaib made an appeal to his Indian counterparts, saying such rowdy behaviour should be avoided to keep the spirit of the game alive.

"Lots of love and respect for my Indian friends. But what can I say? It hurts. Please never do such things again. Cricket is a gentleman's game. Please watch and support the game gently," he said.

World Cup 2023: Shoaib Ali's heart-warming meeting with Rohit Sharma before IND vs BAN match

The superfan had revealed about meeting India captain Rohit Sharma ahead of the match. He had sung praises for Rohit's humility, saying that the superstar cricket himself noticed him in the crowd and stopped his car to greet him.

"I was standing at the gate when he stopped the car and pulled down his window and greeted me. 'Ali bhai', he said. I did not see at first. I was shocked when I noticed it was Rohit Sharma in his blue car. It was like I was dreaming. He even shook hands with me. I got very nervous. He is such a good guy. He respects his fans across the boundary," Shoaib Ali had revealed.