Braving the cold weather, thousands of people turned up with friends and families at the Chinnaswamy Stadium to watch the Karnataka Bulldozers take on Bengal Tigers in the Celebrities Cricket League on Sunday.
The day being both a weekend and Makar Sankranthi, crowds made sure the atmosphere had a festive mood.
Flags of both teams were waved and loud cheers erupted almost after every ball.
Not much importance was placed on the sport as the decisions of the Bengal Tigers batsmen being given out were reversed twice, but did not lead to a controversy.
Due to the chilly weather, even the cheerleaders chose to wear warm clothes.
What was interesting was the fact that a large number of local spectators were seen holding flags of both the teams.
Vishwapriya, 9, a student of K V School in J B Nagar, was found waving both blue and purple flags, supporting the Karnataka and Bengal teams.
She said: “I support Karnataka more because I am a Kannadiga. But I got both flags, so I am cheering both the teams. I think everyone should do the same.” Vishwapriya had come with her parents and brother to watch the match. A few others in the audience carried the red and yellow flag of the State.
An official from the stadium said: “The flags were provided free of cost and given on a first-come-first-served basis. People are here to enjoy and so they cheer both teams.”
Celebrities were also seen off the pitch, the likes of actress Sridevi and Priyamani from the film industry.
On the security front, metal detectors at some of the gates were found not functioning. However, no security concerns were raised. With traffic restrictions imposed around the stadium, the police did not have much difficulty in regulating vehicular movement.