The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday wore an excited look as happy cricket fans resplendent with sweat and light on their faces walked out of it celebrating the easy win of Chennai Super Kings against the Rajasthan Royals.
The temperature was 39.6 degree Celsius and the humidity level 78 per cent. The stadium was typically hot and to add to that the match began at 4 p.m. But, that was no deterrent for fans to occupy their seats well in advance. Friends Jeffrey Rubin and Shibu Shankar from K.K. Nagar got a pair of tees and participated in the excitement wearing the double shirt till they reached home.
All the other customary things associated with an IPL match – cheer girls, loud music belting out, fireworks, crowd waving in unison – were very much part of the match. Although many would agree that it was more a one-sided support, with CSK having an advantage playing on the home ground.
All this was a contrast to the cosy comforts provided at the hospitality box, where food and beverage were offered in plenty. But, the spectators did have their share of fun getting an up-close view of all the match proceedings.
It is 72-year-old Sulochana Ramani's third IPL match this edition and for every major hit, she peered through the binoculars. “I like to get a better view of the players face, so the binoculars come in handy,” says Ms. Ramani, who has been watching cricket since 1952.
Many teenagers such as Dawam Hanif were unhappy about the fact that there was little thrill in the air-conditioned seats. “Come people, let us make noise,” he would occasionally say. And looks like people waited till the second half to gather their momentum. The partnership between Mike Hussey and Suresh Raina pepped up the mood in the room. S. Anya, a class V student, who was reading Geronimo Stilton's ‘A cheese-coloured camper' in between the dull moments of the match, folded it to watch the final excitement.
