Pune to Lucknow: A 1,500 km journey to meet KL

Young MBA student Jayesh Batham from Pune, a die-hard fan of Lucknow Super Giants’ skipper KL Rahul, traveled 1,500 km to meet his idol and present a collage of 54 pictures.

Young MBA student Jayesh Batham is a die-hard fan of Lucknow Super Giants’ skipper KL Rahul, and for his favourite player, this 21-year-old from Pune can go to any extent.

Jayesh Batham (right) poses with KL Rahul after presenting him a collage in Lucknow on Monday (Courtesy LSG)

It was like a dream come true for him on Monday afternoon, when he met his idol at the team’s hostel and presented him a collage, made of 54 pictures, depicting the life of the Karnataka batter.

The stylish right-hander is in the race for a place in Team India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held at West Indies/USA this May.

Batham started from Pune – approximately 1,500 km away – and could reach Lucknow only on Monday morning, after spending ₹3,000 plus on his train ticket. He sat down on the floor of the Hanuman temple at the Charbagh station to complete the collage.

He waited for almost an hour at the team’s hotel gate before shaking hands with his dream cricketer. Pursuing MBA from the National Insurance Academy in Pune, Batham had to beg his family to come to Lucknow to meet KL. “I had 10-day off after completing my first year of MBA and I had to beg my family to let me travel to Lucknow,” said Batham.

The man was gifted KL’s World Cup T-shirt when he made a presentation at his college and since then he was chasing KL. “His (KL) journey to the game has been a big inspiration to me, as his life teaches me how to survive even after facing odds in your life,” said Batham, adding, “I have my own fan page for KL with more than three lakh followers. I am sure about KL’s selection in Team India for the World Cup as his hundred against Pakistan in the Asia Cup before the 50-over World Cup was a great knock.”