Angul, August 20: A 22-year-old youth from Odisha’s Angul district has won hearts with his extraordinary dedication to Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma. Sunil Rout, a resident of Kulei village under Tuba panchayat in Banarpal block, cycled nearly 1,900 kilometres from Angul to Mumbai in just 15 days to meet his cricketing idol.

Sunil, who works as a crane operator at a local plant, is an ardent cricket fan and a devoted admirer of Rohit Sharma, popularly known as the ‘Hitman’. Determined to meet his favourite cricketer, he began his bicycle journey from his village on July 30.

Cycling for nearly 12 hours every day, Sunil covered up to 170 kilometres in a single day. During the journey, he reportedly slept at petrol pumps and ate at roadside dhabas. The 15-day trip cost him around ₹40,000–₹45,000, largely due to food and other travel expenses.

Sunil reached Mumbai on August 13 and waited outside Rohit Sharma’s residence. However, he was initially told by security personnel that Rohit had travelled to London and would return only after several months.

Despite the disappointment, Sunil refused to give up. He continued waiting outside the residence, even spending the night near the gate. Later, another security guard informed him that Rohit was expected to arrive on August 15 and helped arrange accommodation at a nearby hotel. Sunil, however, chose to remain outside the gate, determined not to miss the opportunity.

His patience finally paid off on August 15. At around 3 pm, Rohit arrived at his residence and asked security personnel to call Sunil. When Sunil approached him and attempted to touch his feet, Rohit stopped him and hugged him warmly.

The emotional meeting was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media.

During their meeting, Sunil presented Rohit with idols of Lord Jagannath and Radha-Krishna, a photograph of Rohit and his wife, and an uttariya. Rohit reportedly spent around 30 minutes with him and asked about his long bicycle journey and whether he had faced any difficulties on the road.

Sunil said Rohit was impressed after learning that he had travelled all the way from Odisha by bicycle. He described the hug from his idol as a moment that made him forget all the pain and hardships of the journey.

After the meeting, Rohit’s manager reportedly asked Sunil for his PhonePe number. Sunil, however, declined, saying that he did not need money and that meeting Rohit was the biggest gift he could have received.

For Sunil, the 30 minutes he spent with his favourite cricketer is a memory he says he will cherish for the rest of his life. He is now reportedly returning to Odisha by truck.