Rohit Sharma mock-gestures a punch as fan follows him during Wankhede stand-unveiling event; shares a hug moments later
Rohit Sharma shared a light-hearted moment with his well-known fan, Dipak Patel, during the unveiling of the 'Rohit Sharma Stand' at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Friday. On the sidelines of the ceremony, Rohit noticed Dipak waving the Indian flag; after a brief interaction and posing for a photo together, the fan playfully followed him, prompting Rohit to mock-gesture a punch, instantly drawing smiles from those present.
Moments later, Rohit warmly side-hugged Dipak, much to the delight of everyone around.
The affectionate exchange drew smiles on the internet on an otherwise historic occasion, as the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officially named a stand after Rohit. The decision was made last month, alongside stands named for former India captain Ajit Wadekar and ex-BCCI president Sharad Pawar.
Speaking on the occasion, Rohit reflected on the significance of the honor. 'I had never dreamt of what was going to happen today. You try to achieve a lot of milestones, but something like this is really special, because Wankhede is an iconic stadium and so many memories have been made here,' he said.
'It will be a surreal feeling when I come here and play for Mumbai Indians. It will even get special when I represent the country, whenever that happens. To have this honour in front of my family, my mom and dad, my brother and his wife, and my wife. Very special people in my life and I'm so grateful for things they have sacrificed for me to stand here,' Rohit added.
Rohit recently announced his retirement from Test cricket, concluding a career that spanned 67 matches with 4,301 runs at an average of 40.58. He also stepped away from T20 Internationals after leading India to the World Cup triumph last year.
The Mumbai Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, who was present for the event, praised Rohit as an 'iconic batter' and pledged support for the MCA's proposal to build a new stadium, saying, 'If there is a proposal from MCA for a new stadium, we will allot space for that to accommodate more fans.'
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