The match was on despite all the fuss about the property tax dues to the tune of Rs. 12 crore by the HCA to the Government. There were no official overtures in this regard on Monday and mercifully, no one turned up to spoil the fun as Rajiv Gandhi Stadium which hosted the IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab under lights.
“If you stop the game, HCA will not lose anything. We continue to get the BCCI annual grant and subsidies. On the other hand, the Telangana State Government would get a bad name if the game is stopped as the State’s prestige is involved,” was the argument put forth by HCA men to municipal officials and it seems to have worked.
‘Home game’
The fans showed their appreciation by flashing their mobiles in the stands, taking snaps, selfies and everything else that can be captured as not everyday this is allowed in the name of “security”. Incidentally, Hyderabad was the only city till the first ‘home game’ of the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Chennai Super Kings early this month which had barred mobiles into the stadia for any cricket game for long.
Security angle
“Our objective is make every match spectator friendly but at times we have to comply on the security angle,” says HCA secretary K. John Manoj. Yet, Monday’s match was not exactly full house though it also could be due to the poor show of the Kings XI Punjab this year.
Abnormal prices
Though abnormal prices of snacks (pizza and mini biryani packets costing Rs. 100 each) and soft drinks sold at Rs. 50 each, the fans enjoyed Sunrisers captain and Aussie star David Warner’s belligerence. For the fans, there was a contest between the big names of Australian cricket including Punjab captain George Baily and his teammate Glen Maxwell up against Warner and big-hitting Moises Henriques!
