Kolkata: Cricket fans in Kolkata are considered sporting and knowledgeable. What they love to witness is good cricket, and if the competing team happens to be India then they are more than happy. They are also used to finals without India though, but still make sure they occupy every seat in the stadium. The 1987 ICC Cricket World Cup final between Australia and England had a full house and so did the Pakistan versus West Indies Nehru Cup final in 1989. It has been a long 29 years since Eden Gardens hosted a World Cup final.
Previously, this stadium had a capacity of 90,000, and I am one of those fortunate few to have reported matches here amidst a sea of spectators. Today the capacity is exactly 66,349, and the old concrete seats have been replaced with bucket seats. Irrespective of the teams playing in the finals, the demand for seats is always so high that black marketeers make a killing, especially during high profile matches.
The gloom because of the flyover crash still lingers in the city, and hence the Cricket Association of Bengal has requested all four teams to wear black arm bands as respect for the families of the victims of the crash. However, before the start of the womens’ final, a cultural programme with performances from Amaan Ali Khan and Ayaan Ali Khan, the two sons of Indian classical musician Amjad Ali Khan, will be held.
Fans are always seen hovering around the stadium hoping to catch a glimpse of the cricketers, and lathi-wielding horse-mounted cops have a tough time controlling the crowds. On Friday, the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy, as part of an India tour, was displayed at the South City Mall and many fans rushed to see and take pictures of the trophy.
Many Pakistan reporters have stayed behind for the final. They have been told that India too has a cricketer with the nickname ‘Boom Boom’ like Shahid Afidi. India’s rising pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who got the wicket of Chris Gayle in the Wankhede semi-final, is called ‘Boom-rah’.
A study conducted on betting has revealed that women in India now bet heavily on cricket. It is said that kitty parties, which are popular among the social elite women in metropolitan cities, are a hotspot for such activities. A kitty party is a social gathering of women, in which each member contributes money to a central pool and lots are drawn, normally on a monthly basis, to decide which member gets the entire sum that month. It is understood that women who bet on India crossing the 200 run mark - and also winning the semi-final match - lost money heavily.
A study has also revealed that the highest viewership for this World Cup on television was for the India-Pakistan match with 83 million viewers. The interesting aspect in this World Cup is that none of the sub-continental teams have reached the final despite talk about teams’ familiarity with the conditions here.
