Team India’s oldest fan, Charulata Patel, passes away at the age of 87

On Tuesday, Team India lost one of its oldest fans as Charulata Patel, the elderly woman who caught the attention of the cricketing fraternity at the 2019 World Cup, breathed her last at the age of 87.

She was one of the attendees at the India vs Bangladesh World Cup game in Edgbaston where she was seen cheering for the Men in Blue with the enthusiasm of a young fan. She blew a horn at the fall of every wicket of the opposition and waved the tri-colour as wide as possible every time a boundary was hit.

Charulata Patel's Instagram account, cricket.daadi, confirmed the news of her passing away.

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.

The post also thanked Team India captain Virat Kohli and vice-captain Rohit Sharma for personally meeting Charulata Ji at the stadium and seeking her blessings.

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 Rohit Sharma was the best day of her life (she told us this on multiple occasions). May Lord Shiva bless her atman always, please all say aprayer.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also paid tribute to her on social media.

#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