by Sandhya Ramachandran & Aditya Naik
Long long ago, when Doordarshan was still the nation’s only channel, legend has it that entire streets used to be empty when B.R.Chopra’s Mahabharata aired. Now this kind of a phenomenon has become regular, thanks to the passionate reverence for the game of cricket, found only in India.
The sudden growth in the enthusiasm and frenzy can only be attributed, though not limited to, the shorter, fast paced T20 format. Limited overs usually mean higher adrenaline levels amongst the players. This directly translates to a large number of boundaries or wickets per over. One can hardly see the fans sitting down, except in tense situations, as every other ball results either in a four or a six or a wicket. It is drama all the way!
This year the T20 world cup hosted by India saw whole families braving scorching heat with bottles of chilled soft drinks that their favourite cricketer endorses. A single match is usually like a proper picnic, what with people enjoying plates after plates of delicious food in the stadium or at home. In fact some matches even have fans cheering for the opposite team when a huge six had been hit. This seems to have restored the world’s faith in Indian audiences after a few hostile incidents had marred our names.
With the semi-finals this evening and finals over the weekend, energy levels are high and pumping amongst the fans. No one wants to get up from the sofa lest a precious wicket falls. Even nature calls have miraculously been oriented to coincide with advertisement breaks. So how exactly can we arm ourselves for this showdown? Well, we present the ‘Six Steps to Watching T20 Like a Boss!’
STEP 1: No one can eat just one!
No, we are neither endorsing violent behavior in the stadiums, nor are we talking guns. We are simply encouraging you to stock up with whatever you think you may need during the semifinals or finals. We really don’t want to go all the way to the corner store to pick some chips and disposable cups, do we? Heck, we don’t even want to move from our seats! So, be the boring list maker, run to the store/stadium food court and gather every drink and eat you fancy. Or simply be the new #WatermelonBoy or #WatermelonGirl Buy a little in excess. You never know who will drop by!
STEP 2: Dekho, magar aaram se!
Let’s face it, if we can’t go to the stadium, let’s at least bring home the best possible experience. For fear of sounding like an advertisement, subscribe to the HD version so you can watch better and celebrate king and queen-size! This way, you can play third umpire even before the real one voices his opinion. Now, isn’t that so cool?
STEP 3: Bleed blue
This is the SEMI FINAL of the WORLD CUP. It is that enormous! And if you cannot support your team, brandishing their colours on the face, hand-drawing posters and fluttering it across the television. Ignore the ones who call that lame. This IS the time to show passion and allegiance. So get out those paint boxes, awaken the artist and get ready to show your support.
STEP 4: #MaukaMauka
Whether it be the “Jeetegaa bhai Jeetega, Indiaaa jeetega” or the almost-Amul ad sounding
“India makkhan hain, baaki saare dhakkan hai”, the entire country is convinced that their own slogans are what drive the Men in blue to victory. So, whip up all the poetry and get creative with a fresh bunch of war cries that we can scream out to enthuse our team.
STEP 5: Calling All The Gods
Offer those prayers in advance. Call out to your favourite angels. Whether you are pagan or religious, just make sure you invoke the gods of your choice to bless our team. And if you are going to argue that you are an atheist, never mind, pray to the cricket gods instead. Don Bradman is good enough for us!
STEP 6: Get the party started!
Into the Wild and Christopher McCandless taught us that “happiness is only real when shared”. So invite friends, families, neighbouring aunties, uncles, your long-lost pen pal – every single cricket crazy person you know. The strength in numbers will send out good vibes and the celebration when we win (fingers crossed) is going to be manifold. Pick up your phone and get the fun going!
We hope this little list has made it a lot easier to plan for today’s unparalleled match-viewing experience. You still have a few hours to go and a lot of things to do. So get started. But before you begin, send a wish into the air for Team India to make us proud, once again!
Feature Image Courtesy : sports.ndtv.com
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