Just over a year ago, cricket had made Pranav Dhanawade a household name as he scored 1009 runs off only 323 balls, and now the same game has made him experience a humiliating incident.

The Mumbai player was kept in a police lockup for over an hour after a small delay in vacating a ground where a makeshift helipad was constructed for a politician’s helicopter to land.

Pranav’s father, Prashant, said that the youngster along with his friends had stopped practising in the ground and were doing stretching exercises at a distance of around 15 meters from the helipad.

However, the Police officials lost their cool upon seeing the cricketers on the ground and held Pranav by his collar before pushing him into the police van.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Pranav’s father said:“Pranav and the others stopped training immediately and packed their bags. They were just stretching about 10-15 feet away from the helipad when the cops came again and asked them why they were still loitering around. Pranav told them that they would leave in five minutes after finishing their stretching exercises.

“At this point, the cops lost their cool and dragged Pranav by the collar and bundled him into a police van. I had also reached the ground by then and they threw me also into the van for questioning them. No other kid was picked up,” he added.

Pranav, along with his father, was taken to the Bazar Pet Police Station where they were allowed to leave only after some prominent personalities arrived.

Prashant said: “It was only after a few local politicians and media persons showed up that they allowed us to go.”

Pranav’s coach Mobin Shaikh also slammed the police officials by saying: “First of all, there are no proper facilities for children to train. There’s only one proper ground in that area for budding cricketers. The ground is like a temple or mosque for the players; they should get first preference there. Just a year ago, you put this kid on the pedestal and now you have treated him like a criminal.