In an unexpected breach of security on the World Cup final matchday in Ahmedabad, a man managed to evade security officials, run across the field, and approach Virat Kohli.

The pitch invader, an Australian citizen, was later identified as Wen Johnson, and was granted bail on Nov 21.

The 24-year-old was on one-day remand and got bail from a court in Gandhinagar through free legal aid. However, Johnson will have to stay in Ahmedabad under surveillance, as his passport is still in police custody.

What happened on matchday?

Johnson, a serial pitch-invader and TikToker, intruded on the pitch and reached Kohli, which led to a brief pause in the India Vs Australia match at Narendra Modi Stadium.

The red shorts-clad Wen was wearing a white t-shirt with the message ‘Stop bombing Palestine’ on the front and ‘Free Palestine’ on the back. He was also wearing a face mask in Palestine's colours.

In the primary investigation, the Ahmedabad crime branch found that Johnson was active on social media applications, including TikTok, and often invaded fields just to get publicity.

Johnson, who arrived in Ahmedabad on Nov 12 from Australia, stayed in multiple hotels for a week. He bought the final match tickets online from Australia and also had special shoes to run in the grass field.

The security breach in the World Cup final match led to an investigation by the additional commissioner of police (ACP), Sector-1, Chirag Koradia and his team.

Who is Wen Johnson?

A 24-year-old who resides alone in Sydney, away from his parents, earns ₹4,000 per month (₹2.19 lakh) as a skilled worker in Australia. He is also a content creator on social media.

In August, Johnson invaded the pitch during the Women’s World Cup football final between England and Spain.

At that time, he wore a ‘Free Ukraine’ t-shirt with ‘Stop Putler’ printed on the front. 

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