It was the last of the IPL matches in the City. And the feeling that the City won’t be seeing anymore of IPL action this year, was writ large on the face of the crowd.
Though it was clear that Bangalore had booked a berth in the playoff stages, the team’s fans were out in full numbers at the stadium.
The fact that the rival was Chennai was enough to send the home crowd’s adrenalin pumping.
The rivalry between southern siblings, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, had rubbed on to their respective IPL teams as well. Flashes of yellow were seen amidst a sea of red.
The merging of colours yellow and red resembled the flag of Karnataka and fair enough, a few people in the crowd were seen armed with the Karnataka flag which had both the teams’ colours on it.
The match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the City on Sunday was also a match between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Chris Gayle.
There were Dhoni supporters among the RCB fans but they wouldn’t trade Gayle for anything. CSK opened to a bad start and soon began losing wickets one after another, Dhoni came on and gave the score some respectability. Gayle not only had the last laugh but also gave Bangalore fans reasons to celebrate.
Although the celebrity presence was sparse, those who were there said they’d miss the IPL in the City. For singer and actress Sophie Chaudhary, the match was the first one she was watching in the stadium this season.
“I was busy with work, so I couldn’t come for any of the other matches. But I finally found time and made it to the stadium. I am glad they are playing so well. Virat is a good friend of mine and I got to know Gayle. So I am cheering for them and hope they bring home the Cup this time,” she added.
Ramya said she was sad that the matches in the City had ended but said she would be travelling with the team and witness the finals as well. However, Puneeth Rajkumar had to leave early to get home for a family get together.
As always, it’s the people who liven the proceedings in the stadium. It was non-stop partying and people said they just couldn’t wait for the next season of IPL to begin.
“This is my first match in the stadium and I’m loving every minute of it. Though I am all for RCB, ever since the Indian team won the World Cup, I wanted to watch Dhoni play,” said Shilpa Shetty, an auditor.
Despite the controversies that surrounded IPL, avid cricket fans say that they are going to miss it. “The IPL never fails to entertain and that’s why people come back for more. I am surely going to miss the IPL and have already started looking forward to the next season,” said Pranam Shetty, a bio-medical engineer.
Ganavi, an agriculturist, and her husband came all the way from Chikmagalur for the match. “There wasn’t much excitement in the match until Dhoni took over. The IPL format of cricket is short and sweet. I am all for it,” she said. Vinod, Kokila and their daughter Ashna said they had come to the stadium only to see Chris Gayle. “It’s exciting to watch Chris play. The short duration of the match suits us perfectly. We can’t wait to get back to watch a live match in the next season of IPL,” said Kokila.
