Vamika to ‘RCB Girl’, 6 times viral cricket stadium photos broke the internet
The world of cricket is akin to Bollywood when it comes to drama, and some of the photos on and off the pitch that have gone viral over the years are straight out of the movies. Whether it’s the plight of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma over photos of her daughter Vamika going viral, or the RCB girl who was stalked and harassed, or the disappointed Pakistani fan who is now part of an English vocabulary book – it’s sometimes toxic, sometimes healthy and always very, very viral. These photos are a testament to India’s fiery passion for cricket and how we are prepared to be aggressive, silly, rambunctious and all for the good of the sport all at once. Here we take you through a gallery which is a melting pot of emotions from fans ruling the cricket stadium over the years.
Virat Kohli, Vamika and half a century
In the final game of the series against South Africa, Virat Kohli broke his 64th ODI half-century and dedicated it to his daughter Vamika with a special celebration. Anushka Sharma was spotted in the stands with the toddler, and soon the photos of the moment went viral. This went to the extent that Sharma had to post a story on Instagram asking that photos revealing Vamika’s face not be released, as requested by the couple earlier.
The RCB Girl
The viral ‘RCB Girl’ was in the stands during an IPL 2019 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The camera was fixed on her for about five seconds, and it didn’t take long for her identity to be revealed to the world. She was then harassed and harassed online. Speaking about how complete strangers tracked her down on the internet and then revealed her identity to the world, the woman wrote: “I’m confused as to how people found my name/profile. My identity, my privacy and my life were hacked in an instant”.
The disappointed Pakistani fan
During Pakistan’s game against Australia in 2019, the ‘disappointed Pakistani fan’ summed up all the Pakistani fans feeling in the stands that day. With hands on hips and disappointment written all over his face, the fan summed up Pakistan’s missed opportunity to win perfectly. Since then, Muhammad Sarim Akhtar, the man behind the meme, has descended the halls of internet fame.
‘Mahi tum jaha hum waha…’
During the 2021 IPL Final between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders at Dubai International Stadium, a fan with an endearing sign for MS Dhoni went viral. The fan claimed to have come all the way from Chennai just to catch a glimpse of the CSK skipper. “Mahi tum jaha hum waha (Mahi, wherever you go, we will follow you)… all the way from Chennai to Dubai to watch you play. CSK PLEASE TAKE CUP HOME,” the banner read as the fan signed, writing, “fangirlforever.”
Ravichandra Ashwin’s daughter is ‘looking for’ him
Last year, the Team India side playing against England in the fourth Test, left out Ravichandra Ashwin, a move that drew widespread criticism from social media. Fans scoffed at Virat Kohli and India’s « questionable » reasoning for keeping Ashwin out of action, with the series evenly balanced at 1-1. Driving the jibe forward on the first day of the 4th Test was none other than Ashwin’s wife, Prithi Ashwin, an avid fan of the sport, who came up with an interesting take. The video shared by Prithi showed the couple’s daughter « looking for » Ashwin at The Oval. Has she found her father? We assume not.
The Gutkha Man
During India’s first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur last year, a man sitting in the stands was spotted ‘chewing’ gutkha as he spoke on the phone. He then inspired a slew of memes that were based on the Bollywood UP stereotype, where each state character is shown to have a habit of chewing gutkha and tends to speak with said object in his mouth.
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