Odisha fan Amit cycles 1,700 kilometres to meet his favourite cricketer in Pune
Amit Kumar of Odisha, India, set out by bicycle to fulfil his dream of meeting his favourite cricketer once. Travelling about 1,700 kilometres, he reached Pune.
In Pune he finally met Ruturaj Gaikwad, captain of his favourite team Chennai Super Kings (CSK). It was not only a meeting: he also received an autographed tennis ball from the Indian batter.
Amit shared his journey on Instagram. Travelling by bicycle to different places in India and meeting well-known personalities is one of the goals of his trip.
He has already met Kannada film star Yash in Bengaluru and former India cricketer Suresh Raina in Ghaziabad.
The meeting with Gaikwad in Pune became special for him. A video published on Instagram shows the Chennai captain welcoming Amit after hearing about his long bicycle journey. He gave him a signed tennis ball as a gift and praised him for travelling so far.
Gaikwad said many of his friends had told him about Amit's journey, so he had been waiting for the fan to reach Pune.
Gaikwad, however, advised considering the real situation before attempting such a long bicycle journey as Amit's. He warned that covering such a long distance by bicycle is physically hard and full of challenges, and that no one should set out on such a journey without adequate preparation and considering the risks.
The video spread quickly on social media. In less than 24 hours it received more than 800,000 views.
The report also notes this is not the first unusual effort by a fan to meet a player. Recently a fan of Hardik Pandya walked from Lucknow to Bengaluru hoping to see him once, carrying a placard. The Indian all-rounder finally met that fan and offered to arrange a flight or train ticket for his return home.
