Cricket is regarded as a religion in India and people devotedly follow the sport in this country. Be it international matches, domestic matches, or just a mere gully cricket match, majority of Indians follow the sport with all their heart. As Team India progresses in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, here's a list of fans that display the country's craze/dedication/love for the game:
A cricket fan from Mohali, Ram Babu has been an ardent cricket fan since 2008. Owing to his fandom, soon he became famous and was hailed as cricketer MS Dhoni's greatest fan. Earlier, Babu used to paint only his face but he began painting his whole body, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 onwards.
The night before a match, he doesn't sleep. A hired painter or a friend helps him paint his upper body with oil paint, which is used by people to paint their rooms. After which, Babu doesn't sleep and for the next few hours, he sits as still as possible, letting the paint dry.
In every match, as the ball reaches the boundary, Babu cheers and shouts with the chants of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.
Seen during India vs Bangladesh Cricket World Cup 2019 match, Charulata Patel became an instant Internet sensation. The 87-year-old lady was enthusiastic and ecstatic as she cheered for India with her vuvuzela.
After the match ended, the lady was visited by Indian batsman Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli. She was seen blessing the two batsmen as she wished them luck for the upcoming World Cup 2019 matches.
Skipper Kohli even shared her photo through his Twitter handle:
Also would like to thank all our fans for all the love & support & especially Charulata Patel ji. She's 87 and probably one of the most passionate & dedicated fans I've ever seen. Age is just a number, passion takes you leaps & bounds. With her blessings, on to the next one. 🙏🏼😇 pic.twitter.com/XHII8zw1F2
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 2, 2019
Fondly known as Prayer Aunty, the world came to know about Purnimaben Dalal during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 final where Mumbai Indians defeated Rising Pune Supergiants by one run. She became popular after a losing Mumbai side co-incidentally won after she began praying for their win.
She was hailed as the winning factor for Mumbai Indians and on further inspection, people discovered that their beloved Prayer Aunty was none other than Mumbai Indians' owner Nita Ambani's mother.
The people were quick to credit her for the team's win and she instantly became a trending topic on Twitter.
Sudhir Chaudhary can be hailed as Sachin’s greatest fan and can be seen cheering the Indian team in almost every match the team plays. Born in 1981 in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Sudhir Kumar Gautam is widely recognised for attending every home match the Indian team has played since 2003. For some overseas tours, he collects funds from the public.
Chaudhary is usually seen in the stadium with his body painted in the national colours of India, waving the national flag. He pedals his cycle to cricket playing venues to save money and on one instance, has reached Pakistan and Bangladesh to watch a cricket match on his cycle.
Fun Fact: BCCI sponsors the cricket match ticket as well as the travel expenses for Sudhir Kumar.
Deepika Ghose, the RCB Girl became an overnight sensation after the cameraman captured her during an ongoing Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) match. Prior to the match, Ghose had a mere 5,000 followers on Instagram, but her followers shot up to 2,80,000 within a span of just 2 days after she came under the limelight.
After which, the girl claimed that she received unwanted attention and was subjected to mental trauma. While Ghose might not be a hardcore cricket fan, she became a symbol for the Indian cricket with her video where she was cheering for RCB. Ghose has been a loyal RCB fan since 2015.
While the above-mentioned people may seem like the greatest fans, deep down every Indian following cricket is a hardcore fan that cheers for Team India in their every match.
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