World Cup 2019 Fever: Charulata Patel, The 87-year-old Cricket Fan Who Stole The Show

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Team India may have won the match against Bangladesh at the ICC World Cup 2019 on Tuesday, but it was the 'Super Dadi' who stole the show at the Edgbaston ground in Birmingham -and won the hearts of netizens all over!

The 28 runs victory was indeed a glorious moment for the Indian cricket fans but what made it sweeter was the grandma who took over the screens - cheering, dancing and of course - praying for her team's victory.

Born in Tanzania and settled in the UK, 87-year-old Charulata Patel watched her first ever cricket world cup in 1975 at the age of 45 - and there was no turning back. Sitting in a wheelchair and blowing the vuvuzela, Ms Patel is indeed, a cricket fan's spirit animal.

#WATCH 87 year old Charulata Patel who was seen cheering for India in the stands during #BANvIND match: India will win the world cup. I pray to Lord Ganesha that India wins. I bless the team always. #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/lo3BtN7NtD

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2019

In an interview given to SBS, a family member of Ms Patel told, "She (Ms Patel) had seen a lady of her age meeting MS Dhoni at Wankhede Stadium after an IPL match. This incident inspired her to watch the match in the stadium. She has a knee problem and can't walk properly, so we brought her on a wheelchair. She was excited like any other cricket fan."

Enjoying her retirement life, our Super Fan's ardent love for the game has been accoladed by India captain Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma, who went onto the bleachers to thank her for her support and blessings. Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar noted that it was indeed a heart-touching moment.

Also would like to thank all our fans for all the love & support & especially Charulata Patel ji. Shes 87 and probably one of the most passionate & dedicated fans Ive ever seen. Age is just a number, passion takes you leaps & bounds. With her blessings, on to the next one. ?￰ﾟﾏﾼ? pic.twitter.com/XHII8zw1F2

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 2, 2019

With names such as Sourav Ganguly, Michel Vaughn and Virendra Sehwag applauding Ms Patel's enthusiasm, it is safe to say that, she is indeed the most loyal fan of team India.

The Super Fan's story does not end there!

Amul India, known for their catchy and quirky attempts at sensational news and stories, paid tribute to the super granny through a poster - which reads, "Grandmother India", where Ms Patel is surrounded by the iconic Amul girl and some children, cheering for team India.

[Source: Times Now]

Business tycoon Anand Mahindra can be added to the long list of admirers Ms Patel has accumulated in less than a week's time; believes that Charulata Patel is Team India's lucky charm. The 64-year old boss-man came up with a rather sweet gesture of offering to pay for Ms Patel's ticket costs - in response to a tweet by one of his many followers.

Find out who she is & I promise I will reimburse her ticket costs for the rest of the India matches!😊 https://t.co/dvRHLwtX2b

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) July 2, 2019

With each day, the Super Fan's fandom is growing and the best case of this can be seen with Pepsi jumping in on the chance of casting Ms Patel as the face of their new ad campaign! How exciting is that! Looks like our super granny is going to be around for some more - proving the world that age is just a number.