For the near capacity crowd, which turned up for the first-ever Indian Premier League (IPL) final to be held in the city at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, it turned out to be a low-scoring encounter.
On what was a comparatively cool evening despite scorching heat in the day, Hyderabadis lapped up the opportunity to be right where the action was — 34,158 fans turned up for the match at the stadium — but the fireworks from the Mumbai Indians line-up were missing when it batted first.
Not surprisingly, the biggest cheers were reserved for the biggest cricketing icon from India, Sachin Tendulkar, who was seen in an animated discussion with Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma during the warm-up session before the final. And, Sachin was seen doing some ‘shadow batting’ too, even as the bowlers rolled over their arms. For someone who quit the sport long ago, it was an irresistible temptation to get a feel of the willow.
On the other side, the other biggest crowd-puller was unmistakably Mahendra Singh Dhoni. And, cheering the Rising Pune Supergiant outfit were ‘M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story’ film star Sushant Singh Rajput and actor Kirti Sanon. The way the majority of fans cheered every time Pune struck, it was obvious they were longing for the Steve Smith-led team to win, with the focal point being Dhoni.
Before the start, cricketers-turned-commentators, including Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden, Ravi Shastri, and Kevin Pietersen, dressed up in colourful Indian attire.
The sight of the likes of Sachin and Dhoni exchanging pleasantries with the ground staff, headed by Y.L. Chandrasekhar and Mukesh Kumar, was a reminder of their simplicity.
Tribute paid
Far away from the action, Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president G. Vivekanand and secretary T. Seshnarayan paid tribute to former BCCI vice-president M. Ranga Reddy (who was also secretary and president of the HCA) by naming the HCA members’ enclosure after him. Former HCA secretary D.S. Chalapathi said many contemporary officials owe their presence to the way Mr. Reddy supported them in their formative years.
Though the match had a low-key start, it had a nail-biting finish. And despite the fact that there were no fireworks from the willow, at the end of the final the sky was dotted with some fantastic colours and patterns.
