Fans soak up Twenty20 carnival

It was a carnival atmosphere around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here as India played Bangladesh in the ICC World Twenty 20 on Wednesday evening.

Fans started arriving at the stadium as early as 4 pm. But parking spaces near the stadium had been occupied by early afternoon. The stadium banned a host of objects. Plastic bottles, covers and Vuvuzelas (plastic horns) were thrown at the entrance as the police confiscated them from the fans.

But the cricket enthusiasm was indomitable. Fans got their faces painted in the Tricolour while many others chose tattoos. Ribbons, wristbands, jerseys and Indian flags sold like hot cakes as cricket enthusiasts soaked up the atmosphere. Ice cream and fruit vendors made a quick buck outside the stadium though the police tried their best to keep them at bay.

Long distance
Some of the fans travelled a long distance just to witness the match. Among them were Sowmya Maladkar and Supriya Kadam. “We have come from Hubballi just for the match and are staying at a friend’s place. I am a Dhoni fan and hope India wins,” Maladkar said.

The match adversely affected the peak-hour traffic around MG Road. Those heading to their workplace on MG Road and around found it difficult to reach on time. “I could not find a place to park around MG Road. I had to walk almost 2 km,” said Harsha who runs a shop on Brigade Road.