Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: When we think of pitch invaders during a cricket match, what usually comes to mind? A fan – either a girl or a boy – jumping the fence, sprinting across the field, touching their favourite cricketer’s feet, hugging them, or trying to click a quick selfie before being escorted away by security officials. Right? But a recent incident saw a completely different kind of pitch invasion – when a tractor drove into a stadium and vandalised the pitch. Shocking, right? But it actually happened.The incident took place on April 12 during the final of the MLA Trophy cricket tournament in Dharangaon (over 400 km from Mumbai), when a tractor barged onto the field and churned up the entire pitch.So, what led to this chaos?According to officials, as quoted by PTI, a local politician allegedly drove the tractor onto the pitch and damaged it after being upset about not being invited to the tournament.Officials said the leader – who serves as the Dharangaon municipal council president – was angry with the organisers for not inviting him to the event.A video of the incident, which has since gone viral, shows the man driving the tractor across the playing field, tearing up the surface and leaving the pitch unplayable. Players, organisers, and spectators were left stunned as the situation quickly spiralled.“The council president acted in a fit of rage,” an official said on Sunday.The match was immediately called off due to unsafe playing conditions, raising concerns over security arrangements for teams from Dharangaon and nearby villages.Local police reached the spot promptly and brought the situation under control, the official added.No formal complaint was filed, as organisers chose not to escalate the matter further, the official said.
