A Virat Kohli fan for over 11 years, Rahul Rai spent over ₹23,000 to meet the India international in Guwahati and click a selfie with him. Rai, who lives in the Santipur locality in Guwahati, was among the many fans who thronged outside the Lokopirya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport on Thursday, September 29 as Kohli alongside the rest of Indian men’s cricket team arrived in the city for the second India-South Africa T20I. This, in an attempt to interact with his idol.
- Advertisement -
However, the security arrangement meant Rai was unable to do that as Kohli and the rest of players boarded the team bus to a rousing reception. In an interview with News18, Rai said, “I was there at the airport, and I could see him coming out and approaching the shuttle bus.”
He further added, “The security did not allow me to go near or to meet him once. I knew, Kohli would be in the city for the next four days and fancied my chances to meet him at the ACA Barsapara Stadium in practice sessions. Here too the security cover was elaborate and eluded me a chance to meet my hero and click a selfie with him.”
Rai however, did not give up on his dream interaction and went on to book a room in the same hotel where the Team India players were staying, an overnight stay that costed him a total of 23,400 INR.
- Advertisement -
His was finally able to meet the player his father told him about the 2011 World Cup final followed by a selfie in the breakfast area of the hotel.
“At one point he noticed me and asked me to meet him outside the breakfast area. I presented a framed collage of the Fan Page on Instagram that I created in his name and have one lakh followers. He said he cannot carry it back and autographed it for me to keep as a sweet souvenir of this meeting. We clicked a selfie,” Rai said.
