Virat die-hard fan Nikash braves odds to support India captain

You all know Sudhir Gautam who paints his body in the India tri-colour and wears Sachin Tendulkar's name on his chest. You have heard about Mahendra Singh Dhoni's crazy fan Ram Babu. Now meet Nikash Kanhar, a Virat Kohli die-hard fan.

Hailing from Kandhamal district in central Odisha, the 33-year old private bus conductor has met his idol Kohli four times, the last being at the second ODI in Cuttack.

On Sunday during India's third and final ODI against England at the Eden Gardens here, Nikash was seen with the Indian flag in hand and donning a 'Virat' Team India jersey in the stands waving the Indian tri-colour relentlessly.

"I watch matches at Visakhapatnam, Cuttack, Ranchi, Kolkata and sometimes in Punjab," Nikash told IANS on the eve of the tie.

Like Sudhir and Ram, Nikash has also renounced a lot for the love of the game and his hero Kohli, one of the world's finest batsmen at the moment.

"I do not have the finances to travel across India but I want to watch every game our country plays. I have shunned the daily household chores and my responsibilities for this and my favourite Virat Kohli.

"He (Kohli) has always been very kind to me and asks me about myself whenever he sees me," a beaming Nikash said.

If Sudhir pushed his marriage to a later date to watch India play at every venue, Nikash sold off his mother's jewellery to finance his travels.

With Tendulkar long retired and Dhoni in his twilight days, Kohli is well and truly Indian cricket's poster boy now, fittingly having his 'Super Fan' to follow him.

--IANS

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