Cricket / Charulata, Team India fan who went viral during World Cup, passes away at 87

Team India has lost one of its oldest and biggest fans as its superfan Charulata Patel passed away on January 13 aged 87. Charulata Patel had become a household name in this cricket-obsessed nation with her enthusiasm for the game. Braving the rush and crowd of a World Cup game, she attended India’s clash against Bangladesh and became an overnight sensation. But India’s superfan is no more as she passed away on Wednesday.

Coming back to her presence at the World Cup, as soon as the cameras turned towards her supporting for Team India with a blue scarf and a vuvuzela, she became an instant hit. The fans flooded social media with messages for her while the World Cup anchors interviewed her too. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who was commentating during that game, had also hailed her.

Team India has lost one of its oldest and biggest fans as its superfan Charulata Patel passed away on January 13 aged 87. Charulata Patel had become a household name in this cricket-obsessed nation with her enthusiasm for the game. Braving the rush and crowd of a World Cup game, she attended India’s clash against Bangladesh and became an overnight sensation. But India’s superfan is no more as she passed away on Wednesday.

Coming back to her presence at the World Cup, as soon as the cameras turned towards her supporting for Team India with a blue scarf and a vuvuzela, she became an instant hit. The fans flooded social media with messages for her while the World Cup anchors interviewed her too. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, who was commentating during that game, had also hailed her.

And after the game ended, India superstars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma made sure to thank her. Both of them had walked up to her to seek her blessings. Later, Kohli had promised to pay for her tickets in the World Cup and also paid a glowing tribute on his Twitter account. Kohli had said that it was an inspiring sight to see the fan watch the game with such love and passion.

The Confirmation

Charulata Patel’s official Instagram profile confirmed the news of her passing away on Wednesday. In the post, the author confirmed that Charulata Patel passed away on 13th January. Calling the superfan extraordinary, the author said that she loved the attention she received last year. The author also thanked Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for their gestures, writing:

“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you, our beautiful grandmother took her final breath on 13/01 at 5.30pm. 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.”