Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary
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Chaudhary at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai; having body painted on him the Flag of India as well as the Jersey number and name of Sachin Tendulkar.
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| Born | 20 February 1981 |
| Nationality | Indian |
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| Years active | 2003 - present |
| Known for | Supporting the Indian national cricket team and Sachin Tendulkar |
Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, also known as Sudhir Kumar Gautam, is a super fan of the Indian cricket team and the famous player Sachin Tendulkar. He is like a teacher and entertainer for cricket fans. People know him because he has been to almost every home match the Indian team has played since 2007. Sometimes, he even collects money from people to travel to other countries and support the team. You can often spot him at the stadium with his body painted in the colours of the Indian flag. He waves the flag proudly during the matches, and you might even see him on TV!
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Sudhir's Early Life
Sudhir grew up in a small town called Muzaffarpur in Bihar, India. His family was not rich. He loved cricket from a young age, becoming a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar when he was just 6. He stopped going to school at 14. He worked for a milk company and trained to be a teacher, but he didn't have a steady job. He even put off getting married so he could follow the Indian team everywhere they played. This made his parents a bit sad. Sudhir has said that his life is all about watching Indian cricket matches. He often relies on public support to live.
Sudhir's Cricket Passion
Since 2003, Sudhir's biggest dream has been to watch India play cricket and cheer for them. By 2010, he had been to about 150 matches. He often traveled by bicycle to get to the games. For example, he cycled all the way to Bangladesh in 2007 and to Lahore, Pakistan in 2006 to see matches. To save money, he sometimes rode trains without a ticket to reach the stadiums.
When he goes to a match, he paints his body in the three colours of the Indian flag. He usually paints Sachin Tendulkar's name on his chest. He also carries a special conch shell. He blows the conch to announce when the Indian team arrives. Sudhir paints his body the day before a match. He even skips sleep that night to make sure the paint stays on! In 2003, he cycled for 21 days from Muzaffarpur to Mumbai. He wanted to watch Sachin play against Australia. This was the first big match where he started supporting India by waving the Indian flag.
World Cup Win and Meeting Sachin
During the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Sudhir wore a special crown that looked like the World Cup trophy. His most amazing moment happened on April 2, 2011. This was the day India beat Sri Lanka in the final in Mumbai. India became world champions!
Sachin Tendulkar himself saw Sudhir in the crowd. Sachin called him to come to the Indian team's dressing room. Sudhir joined the team's celebrations! Sachin asked another player, Zaheer Khan, to bring the World Cup trophy. Sachin shook hands with Sudhir, gave him a hug, and then let him lift the cup. Sudhir even held the World Cup with Sachin and took photos to remember the special day.
Challenges Sudhir Faced
Being a super fan isn't always easy. Sudhir has faced some tough times:
- In 2010, a police officer stopped and hit Sudhir in Kanpur. Sudhir was trying to shake hands with Sachin during a practice. Later, Sachin stepped in and asked for Sudhir to be let go. The police officer said sorry. After this, Sudhir stopped climbing fences to reach the team. Sachin had told him it wasn't safe. The BCCI (the cricket board in India) then started paying for Sudhir to attend every home match.
- In 2015, during a series in Bangladesh, Sudhir was attacked. Some Bangladesh fans who were booing India harassed him as he left the stadium. He was scared, but the Bangladesh Police eventually rescued him.
- In 2022, police officers in Muzaffarpur beat him. He had gone to the police station to ask about his brother's arrest. It was surprising because the same station had invited him for its opening just two years before.
See also
- Cricket in India
