Bengaluru: Indian cricket team's superfan Charulata Patel has passed away, the BCCI said today (January 16). During the ICC World Cup 2019 in England and Wales, the 87-year-old Charulata became an internet sensation after captain Virat Kohli had met her during one of the matches.

Also read: Virat Kohli pens letter to Charulata Patel

On Thursday, the official Twitter handle of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) condoled the death of Charulata. She passed away on January 13.

It wrote, "#TeamIndia's Superfan Charulata Patel ji will always remain in our hearts and her passion for the game will keep motivating us. May her soul rest in peace."

The official Instagram handle of Charulata wrote, "It is with a heavy heart that I inform you, our beautiful grandmother took her final breath on 13/01 at 5.30 pm. She was such a sweet little lady, it’s true ‘small things come in small packages’ our Dadi was a delight, she was/is truly extraordinary. She was our world." 

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It was in Birmingham on July 2, 2019, that Charulata had watched the "Men in Blue" at Edgbaston ground. After India defeated Bangladesh by 28 runs, Kohli had sought the 87-year-old's blessings.

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After the meeting, Kohli had written on his Twitter page, "Also would like to thank all our fans for all the love & support & especially Charulata Patel ji. She's 87 and probably one of the most passionate & dedicated fans I've ever seen. Age is just a number, passion takes you leaps & bounds. With her blessings, on to the next one.”

Later, Kohli had penned a letter to her. “Dear Charulataji, It is so inspiring to see your love and passion for our team and I hope you enjoy the games with your family. Lots of love and regards. Virat.”