JOIN USThe rain may have washed away the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), leaving the spectators a wee bit disappointed, but they made up for all the lost action on field by bingeing on food and beverages off field. The loud music by the DJs drowned the pitter patter of the rain and kept the crowds entertained till the match was called off.
Sunrisers Hyderabad supporters Laurie H and Manikantan Nair, team heads of Cognizant from Hyderabad, had booked flight tickets in advance for their entire team to watch the match in Bengaluru. The team barely spent a few hours in the city but they termed their experience as ‘colourful’.
“We are a little disappointed that the match didn’t happen, but we enjoyed spending some quality time with each other,” said Manikantan Nair. This is Laurie’s first IPL match and she says, “I’ve never been to an IPL match before and I find the atmosphere electrifying. I also bought team jerseys to wear to the match.”
Spectators like Riddhi and Vijay were content with having got a glimpse of the cricketers. “I don’t follow the game but I came to the stadium only to see Virat Kohli. I find the crowd lively and the energy infectious,” said Riddhi. Vijay added, “We try to watch one match at the stadium during every IPL season and this time it has turned out to be a disappointment. But we’re enjoying the company of friends in the lounge.”
Friends were the saving grace for Astrid too. The MNC professional said, “It’s been friends, food and drinks ever since we came. I was looking forward to the match but I have met many of my friends here and we still managed to have a good time.”
Cecil, another professional, chipped in, “It’s my first time IPL match; in fact, it’s my first cricket match in a stadium. I am an ardent football fan but the atmosphere here is very different from what I would see in a football stadium.”
Latha and her sister Meena braved the traffic jams just to watch their favourite cricket stars in action and soak in the ambience. “We are happy just being here in the stadium. I have lost count of the number of photos I’ve uploaded on Facebook during the time I’ve spent at the stadium,” said Latha.
Sushma, lecturer in Acharya College, pointed out, “I and my husband are coming from Vidyaranyapura and we started at 4 pm to beat the traffic. Even then, we had to park almost a kilometre away and walk from there.”
Jhansi, who had come to see the match with husband Chiranjeevi and sons Pavan and Ronit, said, “We are very disappointed because we were waiting to see Virat Kohli.”
Ronit added, “We have been going to the food stalls, clicked pictures and exploring the place, in the hope that the match will somehow go on.”