It was a tad terrifying. To the onlooker, the scene was right out of a zombie flick as the crazed mob pushed their way towards the unsuspecting duo of Ashish Nehra and Dwayne Bravo.
The lead-up to the day was just as chaotic.
First, I read pages and pages on Michael Hussey, Mohit Sharma and Ishwar Pandey. Just when I knew satisfyingly enough about the three, and my questions for them were neatly written in my notepad, came an email notifying that the players participating in the event had changed. The event being the Kingfisher Premium Bowl Out, where shortlisted participants from an earlier online slogan contest were to bowl to the three cricketers. The one who manages to get any one of them out in the first ball wins Rs. 50,000 .
The altered line-up now featured Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith and Ishwar Pandey. Hurriedly, I familiarised myself with Smith, Bravo and their accomplishments, including their birthdays. While I was just about to head to DLF IT Park for the interaction, I received another frantic email and a call from the organisers, this time telling me the players had changed yet again. “It’s Nehra, Pawan Negi and Bravo,” they informed. The next hour was dedicated to learning about them. I read, re-read and wrote down a fresh set of questions. (The effort was well worth it, I thought, as long as I get a good story out of it.)
At half-past 12, the venue felt like a frying pan simmering under the merciless sun. “Kathri veyyil,” said one of the television reporters as we waited patiently for the players to arrive and their “bytes”. Hordes of techies walked about busily. Everyone had somewhere to be but all that stopped the moment the two men in yellow (another change since Negi didn’t show up) disembarked from their car and walked to the middle of the park. Five minutes was all they lasted as fans and photo-seekers almost pounced on Nehra and Bravo. The security looked as baffled as a novice batsman facing reverse swing.
As the players waited by the bowling net, that had been put up for the event, a few people even tried climbing over and sliding under the nets, all to be within breathing distance of the men. One of the fans even ripped the net apart. The players, were far from amused.
Selfies were taken with or without the consent of the cricketers. As long as they were in the background, the sound of clicking pierced through the hustle and bustle of the event. After a point, it was difficult to even spot the 6-feet-3-inch-tall Nehra. And before you knew it, they were whisked back safely to their hotels.
The ones who did manage to inch their way to the centre of all the drama and were brave enough to stand through the near stampede-like situation walked out feeling like heroes. The PA systems blared out announcements, requesting employees of the various IT companies to head back to their departments.
Long after the CSK members left, the remaining formed little huddles, tut-tutted, shook their heads and analysed the situation. A few television channels managed to get their bytes from the disappointed fans, who missed out on the opportunity to bowl to the cricketers. As for me, it was a long drive back, minus the “promised” story.
