While every Indian cricket team fan in Australia and around the world is eagerly waiting for India vs Australia cricket series, Team India’s die-hard fan Sudhir Gautam is disappointed that he will not be able to travel to Australia to cheer his favourite team from inside the gallery.
Painting the Indian tri-colour all over his body, and writing 'Miss-U Tendulkar' on his chest, Sudhir Gautam makes his presence at almost every series that the Indian cricket team plays.
But this time, it's different.
The COVID-19 induced border restrictions on international visitors imposed by the Australian government has restricted him from flying to Australia, shattering his dream of cheering team India.
"I make my presence in every international series India plays but, this time I think, I will have to support and cheer Team India from my home. We can’t do anything other than accept the situation,” a hugely disappointed Sudhir Gautam told SBS Gujarati.
Indian supporter Sudhir Gautam adjusts his make up during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between England and India. Source: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP via Getty Images
Cheering the Indian team since 2002
Throwing some light on how his love affair with cricket started, Sudhir Gautam, a superfan of India’s great Sachin Tendulkar said, "I have been following cricket since my childhood. But it was on 19th January 2001 that I enjoyed my first match India was playing from the stadium."
"And, after this match, I decided to dedicate my life only to cricket," added Sudhir.
During the first few years, Sudhir was travelling to every stadium in India on his bicycle. He even cycled to Pakistan and Bangladesh in 2007, in 2011 for the ICC Cricket World Cup, and in 2012 for the Asia Cup to watch Sachin Tendulkar and the Indian cricket team playing.
Besides travelling to Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, he has travelled to England for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, 2018 India vs England series and 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. He also travelled to Australia in 2015 for the ICC Cricket World Cup, in 2018 for the India vs Australia series, New Zealand in 2015 and all international matches India plays on home soil.
‘Miss Indian team’s matches this summer'
"I have been to Australia a couple of times and was planning to come this year as well, but due to the unfortunate pandemic which has forced the government to close its international border, I won’t be flying to Australia," says Sudhir.
I think this is the first time in the last 18 years that I won’t cheer Team India from the stadium.
Sachin Tendulkar sponsors him
Sudhir said, "I am a huge fan of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar from my childhood, and he is a God to me. I won’t forget the day when I met him for the first time."
"It was during the 2003 Tri-series between India, Australia, and New Zealand that I first met him. Since then he gives me match tickets, sponsors my air tickets, and does visa arrangements for foreign tours," he added.
Sudhir has also attended 72 Tests, 312 One Day Internationals, 76 T20 Internationals, and 69 IPLs and Champions League match so far.
Sudhir Gautam with India's former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar Source: Santosh Harhare/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
Though he will miss the One Day International and T20 International series between India and Australia starting from 27th November in Sydney, he says he is trying to see if he can get a chance somehow to watch the test series starting from mid-December.
He also says that he has dedicated his whole life to cricket and will cheer Team India until his last breath.
Australian crowd loves me: Sudhir
Sudhir Gautam who has been to Australia twice says that the crowd loves him.
Whenever I go to Australia, whether it is in Perth, in Adelaide, in Sydney or Melbourne, no matter which team they support, they have always cheered me, invited to their houses and arranged accommodation for me.
"Even Australian cricket team fans approach me to take a selfie. This shows the love and strong ties between the two nations. And this gives me more energy to electrify the atmosphere, he said.
