Eighty-Seven year old Indian cricket team fan Charulata Patel’s impromptu meeting with Indian captain Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has been one of the more heart-warming stories of the ICC Cricket World Cup so far. Charulata was seen in the stands during India’s previous game against Bangladesh, enthusiastically blowing a vuvuzela and supporting her team. Her enthusiasm caught everyone’s attention, and post the match, captain Kohli and Rohit were seen interacting with her.
After the match, Charulata’s grand-daughter Anjali said, “When he (Kohli) hugged her (Charulata), he said ‘Please come for all our matches,’ to which Charulata replied that she did not have tickets for all of them. Kohli then promised to arrange for tickets for the last group stage game, the semi-final and final should India make it. Sure enough, Charulata was seen in the stands supporting her team during India’s match against Sri Lanka at Leeds. In a tweet shared by the official BCCI Twitter account, a hand-written letter that Kohli wrote for Charulata can also be seen, which read, “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. Lots of Love and Regards, Virat.”
Pepsi Co collaborates with Charulata
Pepsi Co has collaborated with Charulatal, who became an internet sensation. A Pepsi Co spokesperson said, " Pepsi has constantly innovated and reinvented itself to create experiences that connect with consumer passions, be it Bollywood, Music or Sports. Pepsi’s ‘Har Ghoont Mein Swag’ campaign unveiled in February this year, reflects the self-belief of India today. Living in the moment, seizing new, interesting opportunities and doing it all with SWAG is an attitude that defies any age. "
During an interview, Charulata revealed that she is a huge fan of the Indian team and was there in the stadium when India lifted their first World Cup trophy, back in 1983, under Kapil Dev's captaincy. She said that she has been watching the game for decades. "I have been watching cricket for decades. When I was in Africa, I used to watch it, then I came to this country in 1975. Here I had work because of which I did not get time to watch but I used to watch it on TV. But nowadays as I am not working, so I have the interest and I am very lucky that I get a chance to watch cricket." She became the talk of the town when former England player Michael Vaughan shared her picture on his official Instagram, describing the photo as "the picture of this World Cup for him".
