The Indian cricket team’s superfan Charulata Patel, the 87-year old who won hearts when she was seen cheering for the team in last year’s ICC World Cup, has passed away. The news was announced by Patel’s granddaughter, who took to Instagram to write –
“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you, our beautiful grandmother took her final breath on 13/01 at 5.30 pm. She was such a sweet little lady, it’s true ‘small things come in small packages’ our Dadi was a delight, she was/is truly extraordinary. She was our world. I want to thank you all for making her feel special last year, she loved the attention. A big thank you to @virat.kohli you made her feel extra special, meeting you and @rohitsharma45 was the best day of her life (she told us this on multiple occasions). May Lord Shiva bless her atman always, please all say a prayer.”
The BCCI send out a touching homage to the fan, who had met and blessed Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the event last year.
#TeamIndia‘s Superfan Charulata Patel ji will always remain in our hearts and her passion for the game will keep motivating us.
May her soul rest in peace pic.twitter.com/WUTQPWCpJR
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 16, 2020
Patel had come to the limelight during a league fixture that she attended in the event, and was seen blowing a flute and cheering for the Men in Blue. After the game, the Indian cricketers went on to meet the fan, who won over the world with her undying passion. In an interview later, Patel mentioned that she had been following cricket for the last few decades and had been present at the stadium when Kapil Dev won the World Cup in 1983.
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
After the meeting, Kohli had taken to Twitter to pen down a heartfelt post for Patel. “Dear Charulata Ji, it is so inspiring to see your love and passion for our team and I hope you enjoy the games with your family. “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, the passion takes you leaps & bounds. With her blessings, on to the next one.”
May her soul Rest In Peace.
