Updated January 16th, 2020 at 14:50 IST

Throwback to Virat Kohli's heartwarming gesture for 87-year-old superfan Charulata Patel

Team India's 87-year-old superfan Charulatha Patel, who made waves during the World Cup games against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, passed away on Wednesday

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
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Team India's 87-year-old superfan Charulatha Patel, who made waves during the World Cup games against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, passed away on Wednesday. The 87-year-old superfan was cheering for Team India at Leeds and Edgbaston and was promised free tickets for India games by skipper Virat Kohli along with a heartwarming note. BCCI and several other cricketers paid tribute to the late superfan, who was hailed by skipper Virat Kohli as an inspiration for constantly cheering the team through the years. 

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Throwback to Virat Kohli's gesture to the superfan

Team India's superfan Charulatha Patel was present at Headingley, Leeds cheering for India as they took on Sri Lanka in the final game of the group stage of the World Cup. Skipper Virat Kohli had promised match tickets for the 87-year-old after India's previous encounter with Bangladesh at the World Cup, a gesture that was hailed by fans and former cricketers. The viral sensation had her tickets sponsored by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Virat Kohli and had a special message written from the skipper for the superfan. Kohli had said that it was an inspiring sight to see the fan watch the game with such love and passion and hoped that the fan would enjoy the game with her family. 

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Charulatha Patel was seen cheering for India with great enthusiasm during their clash against Bangladesh at Edgbaston. This cricket fan showed her love and passion for the sport in the final overs of the Indian innings when Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni were batting. She was seen rooting for Pant after the southpaw hit a boundary. Soon after, she grabbed the spotlight and the video of her cheering became viral. 

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Patel also said that she is a huge fan of two of India's famous and the most loved cricketers of modern-day cricket- Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. While the 87-year-old believes that India will definitely lift the trophy, she predicts an India-Australia final.  After meeting her post the game against Bangladesh, Virat kohli said, "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."

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Published January 16th, 2020 at 14:48 IST