The popular adage, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’, holds good for the ever growing expatriate community in the City. The ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium has attracted a lot of expats and tourists.
Though most of them don’t really watch or play the sport back home, they say that their stay is not complete without a visit to the stadium during the IPL season. From understanding the nuances of the game to soaking in the IPL experience — most say that they haven’t had anything to complain about. And those who didn’t understand too much of what was happening on the field were making the most of the night by enjoying the festive atmosphere inside the lounges.
The expats say that the IPL experience is one-of-a-kind event and quite unlike what they’ve seen and experienced before. They love it and don’t want to miss a single match in the City.
For Kim, a professional in the City, this was the first time she was watching an IPL match. “In the United Kingdom, we have cricket matches but nothing like this one. I really enjoyed myself and the energy is infectious,” she says.
Russ from the UK had come with a couple of his Indian friends. “All my friends out here have been talking about the IPL ever since I landed here. Now that it is happening, I came to see it for myself and I think I am hooked to it already,” says Russ, who is a big fan of Chris Gayle.
It was also the first time for Andrew, Anne and Navi from United States. “Back home, we have a craze for either baseball or soccer but even in that, the energy is nothing compared to what we are seeing here,” says Andrew. Anne chips in, “I am still trying to understand the game. But over time, I think it’s more to do with the atmosphere and the cheering than the game itself.”
Punkita Patel, a Canadian, says, “I feel a trip to India is not complete without a visit to the IPL match. It’s so infectious that within few minutes, you end picking up a flag and screaming your lungs out for your favourite team.”
Madlen Miserius from Germany was stunned at the enthusiasm of the people in the stadium. “People here are so into cricket. I don’t know much about cricket but I am enjoying the atmosphere and the food,” she adds.
One of the IPL lounges had a big group of expats, who were wearing red t-shirts, and cheering for RCB. “Almost all the matches are so intense and the atmosphere is truly electrifying,” says Lisa. Jeff pitches in, “It’s nothing short of a party and we just come out here to have fun because we don’t get to see anything like this back in our country.”
Jenny, another expat, concludes, “I’ve heard that Indians are crazy about cricket but it’s only when I got to see it for myself that I realised how much time and energy people here devote to the game.”
