Nandita Sridhar
| The glitz and glamour apart, the cricket must draw crowds |
ROOTING FOR CHENNAI: Chennai Super Kings brand ambassador actor Vijay at a news conference in the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday. The host will play Mumbai Indians in its first IPL match at home on Wednesday.
Chennai: A city that has savoured cricket’s uniqueness in an erstwhile era will witness the game’s condensed future on Wednesday.
The Indian Premier League Twenty20 series has set foot in many Indian cities, but its biggest challenge lies in convincing cricket’s keenest observers of its purpose. The big question now: Will entertainment for its own sake appeal to Chennai’s cricket lovers?
The agenda for Wednesday is clear. Much before loyalties are sorted out for Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, the paying public will be forewarned of the IPL’s essence, with performances by Sivamani and Hariharan, and the presence of brand ambassadors Vijay and Nayanthara.
The idea of entertainment can ill afford to lose itself in the cricket. Entertainment in its different forms has been well-received in the city, but its impact when combined with sport will be put to test through the course of the seven matches here. Independent of the glitz and the glamour, the cricket has to draw crowds.
Former cricketer V.B. Chandrasekhar, Director, Cricketing Activities, of Chennai Super Kings, was quite confident of Chennai’s appetite for entertaining cricket.
He said: “They will definitely like what they’re going to be seeing. The cable system here has prevented many people from watching the matches on TV, but we’re expecting them at the Ground. The people of Chennai have always enjoyed entertaining cricket.
I remember the time when Krish Srikkanth and I used to bat here. People would throng to watch him and disappear once he got out. There’s always an audience here for entertaining cricket.”
Popular actor Vijay, who addressed a press conference here on Tuesday, was equally excited. “I am looking forward to the matches, since I belong to a family of cricket lovers. I’m sure my fans will come to watch,” said the brand ambassador.
M.S. Dhoni, substituting for the lack of a home-grown icon player, will need all his resources as captain to cultivate loyalty.
No cricketer from the city has matched Srikkanth’s international stature since his retirement.
For Chennai to support and identify itself with a hybrid team that is meant to be its but with no local star, nothing short of cricketing excellence will do.
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