'One can never get enough of India'

Ample Support

Sitting in the various stands in Chinnaswamy Stadium, the better halves of the players and the support staff of Royal Challengers Bangalore take immense pleasure in showing their support, along with the fans, for the players.

No doubt their husbands are celebrities, but these wives are never spotted at any of the VVIP stands. “It’s more fun to sit with the public and cheer,” says Alison Jennings, wife of RCB coach Ray Jennings. But that’s not the only thing they enjoy. While their men sweat it out in the grounds, their families venture out to explore the City, its food and culture.

Of course, shopping is an integral part of their itinerary. The women make sure they get a wholesome experience of the country each time they are here.

Alison says that every time she comes to India, she feels more and more  comfortable. “It’s the familiarity factor that works. Each visit helps you understand and accept the culture, the people and the lifestyle. But one can never get enough of India,” she says. 

The Indian Premier League (IPL) excites Dirk Nannes’ family as well, but it was the opportunity to explore India that made his wife, Erin Nannes, to bring the kids too on their IPL tour. Although Dirk is not playing this season, he has accompanied the team, lending support at every step. And his wife Erin, whose father has lived in India for a while, couldn’t resist the temptation to come along with Dirk. “My children have grown since the last the IPL season and now, they run around the place and do their bit of exploring,” says Erin. 

Not only do they visit places like the UB City, malls and even Commercial Street, they have also taken rides in namma autorickshaws. Erin, along with her six-year-old son Max and four-year-old daughter Ayla, have explored the pockets in the City in the autos, which they call tuk-tuks. “I haven’t been able to shop much but the kids simply love travelling in the tuk-tuks,” she adds. 

Some have even become familiar with the celebrities. Over the years, Nicky, the wife of Russell, a support staff of RCB, has realised the importance of actors in the Indian cricket. “My husband used to work with KKR before this and I remember how everyone around us used to talk about Shah Rukh Khan all the time. We haven’t really got the time to watch any of his movies. I see that people here are in love with the game and movies,” she adds. 

Even the bonding between them have grown. Alison says that on every trip to India, she meets a couple of new faces. “Since I have been coming here for the longest time, I do tend to become a little protective over some of the new players’ wives or girlfriends. It’s nice to see how we all become one family during these few months in India,” sums up Alison.