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Journalism of Courage
As India beat Bangladesh at Edgbaston on Tuesday, 87-year-old Charulata Patel hogged the limelight at the stadium and outside as well. Dressed in a traditional saree, a woollen sweater and shawl, Patel had the Indian flag painted on her cheeks and cheered with a plastic trumpet at Edgbaston. The camera was focussed on her whenever possible and she became a hit across social media platforms.
India captain Virat Kohli and vice-captain Rohit Sharma came to meet her after the game.
And now, industrialist Anand Mahindra has offered to sponsor her tickets for future games. Mahindra, who said he did not watch India games normally, tweeted that he had started watching the match due to the presence of Patel.
After the match, Mahindra tweeted, “Ok, watched the last over & it had all the drama I needed. The best victories are those that make you bite your nails at 1st & then make it look easy in the end. Shabash, India & make sure this match-winning lady is present at the semifinals & finals…give her a free ticket!”
However, one fan pointed out that the industrialist could sponsor the woman’s ticket, to which Mahindra agreed instantly.
In an interview to the ICC site, Patel said, “I like cricket because my children used to play cricket for Surrey.”
Patel said she was born in Tanzania, but she always took pride in the Indian cricket team since her parents are from there. She said she had begun tracking cricket actively since her retirement 20 years ago.
“For 20 year. I feel like they are my kids so I feel very happy to see them,” Patel said.
