A hat tip to creativity

The home team may be having a dismal stint during the present season of IPL but Bengalureans are in no mood to let the gloom affect them. While Royal challengers Bangalore (RCB) struggle with out of form players and unexpected losses, some fans and cricket enthusiasts are wearing their hearts on their sleeves and going all out to proclaim their support for the team.

Sharwani was among the many loyalists who got her face painted with the RCB colours. “It is my first time at an IPL match and I am very excited,” says the student. “It cost me Rs 50 and I thought it was a good way to show my support to the team.” Many people shared her views and the artistes in front of the stadium could be seen working tirelessly to satisfy their ever-growing line of customers.

Her friend Pawan stood some distance away, unimpressed by the colourful wares all around him. “I bought something when I came for the first time but not after that. All the things seen here are over priced and the quality is not that good. There is no point in wasting money for something like this.”

Inside the stands, many opted to don the free hats that were conveniently placed on the chairs. “It is my first time at an IPL match and the energy is infectious,” says Sonali, a professional who works at Yahoo. “There are 16 of us from the company who have come to watch the match together. All the participants were given free caps and T-shirts to wear to the event. However, since I was a last minute entry, I couldn’t get these. Thankfully, I was able to get one of the hats they placed on the seats and now I don’t feel so left out,” she says with a laugh.

For software professionals Shiv Nandan and Pawan, the IPL is a chance to let down their hair and have some fun. “We bought these funky, colourful wigs for Rs 80. We get into the spirit of the game and grab some eyeballs too,” says Shiv.

“It is a chance to experiment with some crazy accessories and stand out in the crowd, something you wouldn’t do on a regular basis,” says Pawan, adding, “These T-shirts were bought during the last season though. They are reasonably priced but we don’t want to keep buying the same things over and over again.”

Vendors selling these T-shirts and accessories are a regular sight during matches. Mangamma and her family are one such group who leave their usual occupation of farming during IPL season and land in the city. “We come from a village near the Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka border. During match days, we catch a bus at dawn, arrive at the city market here, pick up our goods in bulk and arrive in front of the stadium. We sit here at night till the match ends or till the policemen tell us to leave and then go back to our village,” says Mangamma, adding that hers was the third generation in the family who had taken up this job, in the hope of cashing on the sentiments of a cricket-crazy population.