From Virat Kohli to Anand Mahindra, this 87-year-old Indian cricket fan is winning hearts everywhere
An octogenarian, Charulata Patel stole the limelight by blowing a trumpet and cheering on the Indian team from the stands at the ongoing World Cup series. And she has won over Virat Kohli, Anand Mahindra, and the rest of the world with her infectious love for cricket.
India loves cricket. There is a popular saying that cricket is almost like a religion in India and it holds the power to unite the country like nothing else.
And for the millions of Indian cricket fans, nothing stops them from cheering on the Men in Blue, not even age.
Grabbing the limelight at the recent India-Bangladesh match in Edgbaston in Birmingham was 87-year-old Charulata Patel, an Indian cricket fan who has now taken the internet by storm.
One of the oldest fans on the stands, Charulata said she has been watching cricket for many decades now, and was also present when India won its first World Cup in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. She said,
“When Kapil paaji won the World Cup in 1983, I was there as well. Whenever Indian cricketers come over [to England] to play, I pray for them. I am a big believer in Lord Ganesh, and I have full faith that India will win this time. I bless the players, I hope they take care, do well, and give us a chance to win,” reports The News Minute.
How she shot to fame? Thanks to the cameraman who captured her while she was cheering the Indian team while they were playing against Bangladesh on July 2, reports India Today.
With her sheer enthusiasm, the octogenarian attracted all the cameras as she enthusiastically blew her trumpet, cheering the Indian team from the stands.
However, it was only a matter of time before Indian captain Virat Kohli saw her, and after winning the match, went to personally thank her. The Indian skipper tweeted saying,
“I would like to thank all our fans for all the love and support, and especially Charulata Patel ji. She’s 87 and probably one of the most passionate and dedicated fans I've ever seen. Age is just a number; passion takes you leaps and bounds. With her blessings, on to the next one."
Besides Kohli, even former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly from the commentary side noticed her enthusiasm.
Impressed by the zeal of the 87-year-old, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra took to Twitter and said,
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