Mohali: Like Sachin Tendulkar had in Sudhir Gautam, a regular among the crowds and one of the most visible Indian cricket fans, limited-overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni also has a similar dedicated follower.
A resident of Mohali, Ram Babu has the Indian tri-colour painted on the upper half of his body with ‘Miss u Dhoni’ written on his chest. He claims to be travelling across Indian stadiums on Dhoni’s expenses.
“I am a big fan of Dhoni bhaiyya. He has sponsored my T20, ODI and Test trips across India. Cricket was always a passion and Dhoni is my hero,” the 30-year-old Babu said.
“I have been watching games in Mohali since its inception… Maybe since 1997-98. But I only started travelling since 2008-09. It’s just great to be inside the stadium watching my team play and win,” he added.
Along with Babu’s chants of ‘Bharat Maata ki Jai’ one could also see Tendulkar ‘bhakt’ Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, head shaven and painted top to bottom in the colours of the Indian flag, with ‘Miss u DHoni’ written on his chest.
A huge Tendulkar fan, Sudhir, a resident of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, has even travelled to the 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The trip was sponsored by the Little Master himself.
Add to the frenzy and you also find Dharamvir from Madhya Pradesh. Member of the differently-abled state team, Dharamvir’s presence can also be felt at many cricket venues across India.
The three ardent fans were also present at the team’s practice session here yesterday.
PTI