Sudhir Kumar lifts the World Cup in the dressing room on Saturday as Sachin Tendulkar applauds. Telegraph picture

Patna, April 4: Every match that Sachin Tendulkar plays has a fixture — a man painted in saffron, white and green, waving the Tricolour and blowing a conch shell. Meet Muzaffarpur resident Sudhir Kumar, the man who can be spotted at every ground the Little Master plays.

But the World Cup final at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday is something Sudhir will never forget. Not only did India become the world champions the second time in 28 years, Sudhir could also lay hands on the World Cup in the Team India dressing room.

In a brief conversation over the phone, Sudhir, who is in his 30s, told The Telegraph: “I was standing outside the team’s dressing room when Sachin Sir spotted me in the crowd. He called me inside the room and after a while, let me hold the World Cup. I had the Cup in my hands briefly. It was very heavy and I was also tired. He is so humble that he let me hold the Cup.”

Sudhir is now on his way back to Calcutta from Mumbai. He has parked his bicycle at the residence of former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly.

“After the inaugural India-Bangladesh World Cup match at Mirpur, I returned to Calcutta. But as the team’s February 27 match against England was shifted to Bangalore, I got in touch with Sourav Sir and asked him if I could keep my bicycle at his home. Once I reach Calcutta on Tuesday evening, I will collect my bicycle and then paddle my way to Patna by April 10. After that, I will return to my house in Muzaffarpur,” Sudhir said.

Sudhir, who used to work at a milk company in Muzaffarpur, is a qualified teacher also. However, he prefers to travel around the world to see his “god” play.

The die-hard cricket fan is a bit sad though. He would have to miss a few matches of the fourth season of the Indian Premier League that starts from Friday.

“The IPL begins on April 8 and that means I will miss a couple of matches. I also told Sachin Sir about it and he asked me to relax a little. Although I cannot say anything about my plans right now, I will surely start my journey soon and will be at the IPL. I have to watch all the matches, especially those featuring Mumbai Indians,” Sudhir added.

Sudhir’s dedication to the game of cricket and Master Blaster has also been accepted by Sachin. In a recent interview to a news channel, Sachin agreed that Sudhir is his biggest and most special fan. Every year, he even sends litchis to Sachin, who is said to sponsor his tickets for each international match. Sudhir, however, prefers to keep silent on it.

“I dream about my god all the time. In the dressing room, Sachin Sir introduced me to the other players and their families. I met Harbhajan, Dhoni and Sehwag’s families. Sachin Sir was concerned about whether I had eaten or not and asked me to have food in the dressing room. He wanted me to have fun. It is unimaginable that he treats a simple man like me so nicely. I can’t forget this. He is my god,” said Sudhir.