As IPL fever spreads across the city, jerseys are being sold rapidly in and around the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. K.K. Malaya, 62, who has been in the business for nearly 50 years, is one of them. According to him, “Almost a hundred people from each place-- Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi--have flocked to Bengaluru to sell jerseys for the new season of Tata IPL (Indian Premier League)”, he says as he sits on the footpath, surrounded by a wide display of jersey from different IPL teams.
He says that he has been selling roughly 50 to 100 jerseys per day, which go at ₹200 per piece, earning around 20% of the sales profit as commission. Another seller, 21-year-old Mohamad Sabith, earns even less: only ₹600 per day, as he has to juggle work with his studies.
Fans wearing Chennai Super Kings jersey at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk in Chennai. | Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B
Booming business
Business, however, is booming, agree the sellers, as almost 50% of the spectators among the 32,000 people in the stadium purchase these jerseys as a way of showcasing their support for their respective teams. Besides these jerseys, other merchandise like caps are also available, and being rapidly purchased at a reasonable rate.
So, what is the most popular team right now? RCB jerseys, despite the hate they received on social media after the original black-and-red colour was changed to red-and-blue, are going the fastest, thanks to the team being led by Virat Kohli. This is followed by CSK (Chennai Super Kings).
