Sudhir Gautam at Moin-ul-Haq Stadium in Patna on Saturday. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, July 9: When India takes on England in the first cricket Test at Lord’s, the team’s lucky mascot, Sudhir Gautam, would be ready to blow the conch shell each time master blaster Sachin Tendulkar hits one past the boundary.

The man from Muzaffarpur district, who is there with almost every time India plays a match in the country, would be flying to Mumbai tomorrow and leave for England from there.

“Last month, I met Sachin and requested him to take me along with him to England. He agreed and I gave my passport to him. I will fly to Mumbai tomorrow and leave for England from there,” Sudhir, who was present at Wankhede to witness India’s World Cup triumph on April 2 this year, said.

The self-proclaimed “biggest fan of Sachin” told The Telegraph: “He (Sachin) is very kind and has always supported me, especially whenever I wanted to be with the team to support it.”

He said: “When I was young I used to see Sachin on television, it was my dream to meet him. Today, I feel like being a part of Sachin’s family. I can go to his house without any trouble. He has high-level security but nobody has ever stopped me because everyone knows I am a great fan of his.” Sudhir was among children at Moin-ul-Haq stadium in Patna today.

On the way of dressing up, he said: “You have to look different from others, or people will not recognise you. I do not look good. So, I started painting my body to attract Sachin. I always have ‘Tendulkar’ and the number 10 written on my back and front.” So far, Sudhir has cheered Sachin in 173 ODIs, 27 Test matches and three international T20 matches. Besides, he has also featured during 39 matches of the Indian Premier League.

On whether he received tips from anybody, Sudhir said: “I was very inspired by Chaudhary Abdul Jalil, who commonly known as Chacha cricket. He is the most famous fan of the Pakistan cricket team. I met him during the Pakistan tour where he gave me some tips regarding the style of cheering Team India and Sachin in particular. The Pakistan Cricket Board takes care of him and makes all kinds of arrangements for him whenever Pakistan tours any country.”

He added: “I have met Board of Control for Cricket in India president Sharad Pawar thrice but he has refused to make any arrangements.”