Harsha Bhogle apologises as bizarre social media 'kidnapping' video goes viral
One of cricket's leading commentators has apologised after what seems to have been a joke went wrong, causing worldwide concern for his safety.
Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle was giving an Instagram interview on MS Dhoni's decision to stand down as captain of IPL side Chennai Super Kings, when he disappeared from the screen and was heard shouting in apparent distress.
"Kya hua? Kaun hai? Kaha se aa gaye?" he could be heard shouting. In English this translates to, "What happened? Who are you? Where did you come from?"
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The session was ended as the host's expression turned to concern, apologising for the "minor inconvenience."
In a since-deleted tweet, the host wrote that "We are not sure about what happened. We are trying to get in touch with @bhogleharsh and his team."
The video went viral on social media amid fears for the safety of the 60-year-old, who then clarified it was a stunt, although it's still not clear exactly what it was meant to achieve.
"I am fine," Bhogle tweeted. "Sorry to have got a lot of you worried. Thank you for the love and concern. It became more viral than I anticipated. That too is a learning. It was meant to lead to something else. Sorry. And cheers."
Leading cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle. Getty
He followed that up with another tweet to his 8.8 million followers, conceding the whole affair was embarrassing.
"You learn something new every day. It seemed a light-hearted thing to do but in its execution it became something that I didn't think it would. I am actually a bit embarrassed now."
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