A whirring sound echoed at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday when aircraft from Indian Air Force’s Surya Kiran aerobatic team whizzed over the venue. Naturally, everyone had their phones out to record the unreal experience of the planes flying well over 500 km/h and doing aerial manoeuvres. There were rolls, flips and the aircraft forming different formations in the sky, at that speed, was a sight to behold.
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It’s going to be a big fat party here in Ahmedabad when India and Australia lock horns in the title clash of the World Cup and a lot is in store for the over one lakh spectators expected to be in the stands. Air shows, musical performances, drone shows, laser shows, fireworks… and the list goes on and on. Right from the toss to the post-match presentation, there have been arrangements made to make it a memorable day for cricket fans in Ahmedabad and the ones watching from their home.
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ODI World Cup is a different vibe and it goes several notches higher when it’s the final and even higher when India are in the final. After a long wait of two editions, the host nation has a shot at the title and there is a lot of excitement and anticipation. Interestingly, not surprisingly, the excitement and anticipation is only restricted to the stadium and the lanes leading to it. Much like the India vs Pakistan contest here last month, it’s like a business-as-usual vibe in the city.
Yes, the hotels are making a fortune with average accommodations quoting insane rates, and airline fares are getting out of reach but excitement is yet to grip the masses in a city which doesn’t really have a strong cricket or even sports culture. Most are still nursing the festive hangover from Navratri and Diwali and feel the timing isn’t ideal.
“Chutti ke aas paas rehta to theek rehta. Abhi Navratri and Diwali ke time sabne jashn manaya hai… usi ke aas paas rehta to theek rehta (It would have been nice to have it close to holidays. Everyone celebrated during Navratri and Diwali),” says a tea shop owner near the stadium.
The stadium is probably the only place in the city where you can feel the World Cup buzz. There are scores of jersey sellers occupying every inch of pavements outside Gate No.1 and Virat Kohli’s No.18 are selling like hotcakes. They have different sizes for every fit and are selling the blues between Rs 200 and Rs 400. The prices are certainly going to shoot up on match day but the right bargaining tactics will keep you within the price bracket.
“Virat Kohli ka demand hai. Bahut bik raha hai. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma… yah pe thoda Shubman Gill ka bhi maang rahe hai par uska itna stock nahi hai apne paas (Virat Kohli jerseys are in demand. Selling a lot. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma both. Here, people are asking for Shubman Gill jerseys too but we don’t have enough of stock of it),” says a regular replica jersey seller.
For the cricket enthusiasts, there is a lot to look forward to but for the rest, especially the cab operators, it’s going to be a lull for 8-9 hours. Understandably, a middle-aged driver is worried about his Sunday, which mostly is a rewarding day.
“Sab match to dekhege hi, stadium jaaye ya na jaaye. Halka rahega kaam us din. Match se pehle aur baad mai reh sakta hai zyaada but aane, jaane mai jitna time lagega utni rides ho nahi paaegi. Khaali hoge to hum bhi match hi dekhege gaadi mai (Everyone will watch match, whether from the stadium or home. Work will be less that day. Could get some before and after matches but the usual ride count is unlikely to be normal. I will also then watch the match on my phone from the car),” says a cab driver.
The main entrance of the stadium, the drop-off point for most, is the most buzzing part of the city, at least on the eve of the match. Since the fans/spectators aren’t allowed inside, they wait there to hear the music inside the stadium, catch a glimpse of the aerobatics in the afternoon and then the drone show when it turns dark.
Numerous drones lit up the night sky on Friday and the fans inquiring about tickets or clicking selfies outside Gate No.1 were in for a treat. For the ones without tickets for the title clash, it was a memorable capture for their Instagram reel.
There was activity, plenty of activity and buzz when the captains did their official photoshoot in the city today. There will be a lot of buzz when Team India arrives for their practice session in the evening of Saturday but it will take time for Ahmedabad to buzz the way Kolkata or Mumbai do before a high-profile fixture.
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