Back in December 2017, when the Sri Lanka team was touring India, Rohit Sharma was introduced to a sobbing Sri Lankan cricket fan Mohammed Nilam.
Nilam, who had been a long-time admirer of Rohit, had been just informed that his father was suffering from cancer. When Rohit came to know about it, he immediately arranged for air tickets for Nilam to fly back home so that he could be with his ailing father. Apart from tickets, Rohit also gave him some money and promised to visit Nilam’s place in Colombo.
Rohit Sharma, who is now in Colombo leading the side in the Nidahas Trophy, didn’t forget his promise and paid a visit to Nilam’s family on Friday. In fact, to ensure nobody knows about the Indian skipper’s visit, Nilam didn’t even inform his family about it in advance.
“I know him (Nilam) for many years now. He has cheered for me for so long now. I still remember he was crying a day after the Test in India, telling me how his father was not feeling well,” Sharma told The Indian Express.
These are the people who make who we are today. They are the ones who pray for you, they stand beside you in your bad times. I had told him in December that if I come to Sri Lanka this March for series, I will come to his house to see his father. Today, I could feel the happiness they got after seeing me.Rohit Sharma to The Indian Express
Not only Rohit Sharma’s generosity, this whole incident also highlighted the fact how fans from different countries come together in tough times. It was Sachin Tendulkar’s super fan Sudhir Gautam, who first found about the condition of Nilam’s father, and told Rohit Sharma about it.
“Rohit is clean-hearted guy,” Nilam told The Indian Express.
I still remember the day when I got a call from my family that my father is not feeling well. Frankly, I didn’t have any money then and didn’t know anyone else also in India. The last moment flights are expensive, so Rohit got to know from Sudhir and he called me to the hotel. He handed me the tickets and money. Who will do this in today’s time?Mohammed Nilam to The Indian Express
Whenever India goes to play in Sri Lanka, Nilam made it clear that his loyalties always remain with Sharma. According to Nilam, not only his batting, Rohit’s simplicity and good nature makes him different from others.
“It’s not that only Rohit knows me in the Indian team, I know everyone, but everybody knows that my loyalty towards Rohit is more than the other players. If Sudhir is known as Tendulkar fan, I am known as Rohit’s number one fan,” Nilam told The Indian Express.
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