Dubai: A Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fan has cycled nearly 1,700 kilometres from Odisha to Pune in a bid to meet his cricketing heroes, finally getting his wish when he met CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Amit Kumar, who documents his journey on Instagram under the handle amit_cycle_ride11, has been travelling across India on his bicycle, meeting several prominent personalities along the way.
His journey has already brought him face-to-face with Kannada film star Yash in Bengaluru and former India cricketer Suresh Raina in Ghaziabad. His latest stop in Pune proved particularly special, with Gaikwad welcoming the devoted CSK supporter who claimed to have travelled nearly 1700 km.
In a video shared on Instagram, Gaikwad presented Amit with a signed tennis ball and praised him for completing the challenging journey.
The India batter also revealed that he had been waiting for Amit to arrive as many of his friends had informed him about Amit’s journey, making the meeting even more memorable for the fan.
However, Gaikwad urged others not to attempt a similar journey without considering the difficulties involved, warning that cycling such long distances can be physically demanding and challenging.
The video quickly attracted attention on social media, crossing 800,000 views in less than 24 hours as cricket fans applauded Amit’s determination.
Amit’s journey comes amid other remarkable efforts by supporters to meet their favourite cricketers. Recently, a Hardik Pandya fan travelled from Lucknow to Bengaluru on foot, carrying a board in the hope of meeting the India all-rounder.
Pandya eventually met the supporter, praised his determination and offered to arrange a flight or train ticket for his return home.
Both encounters highlight the extraordinary lengths some fans go to meet their sporting heroes, with the players’ gestures turning those journeys into unforgettable memories.