Eye on Eden semis but mind in Mumbai for Kol cricket fans

Kolkata: On Holi evening, the stands at Eden Gardens were a sea of colours on Wednesday as fans poured in for the first T20 World Cup semi-final between South Africa and New Zealand, but they admitted that their heart and mind were some 2,000 km away, in Mumbai, where India will take on England in the second semi-final on Thursday.Sayan Bhadra (28) and Subhosree Das (27) from south Kolkata arrived early, brimming with excitement. "We are very excited for today's match," said Sayan. "I want New Zealand to win. We are expecting an India vs New Zealand final; that will be amazing." Subhosree nodded in agreement, already planning for what they hope will be a trans-Tasman final.
Not everyone shared that sentiment. Soumyadeep Das (24), who works in Mumbai but is in the city for the match, said he was backing South Africa. His friend Sainik Khaddar (23) from north Kolkata added that he was at the Eden Gardens just for the fun of cricket but was more excited about the second semi-final. "Tomorrow's match is going to be huge," Soumyadeep said, his face painted in the Indian tricolour and flaunting a brand-new India jersey.For Debashish Ghosh, who travelled from Midnapore with his parents, the evening was special. "This is my as well as my parents' first time at the Eden Gardens," he said. A New Zealand supporter for the day, he hopes to see India face the Kiwis in the final. Tathagata Choudhury from Jadavpur, however, wanted the Proteas to sail throough. "I want South Africa to win today. They beat us in the Super 8. I want India to reach the final and take sweet revenge there," he said.From Sinthi More, Subhayu Mukherjee, attending his second match at the Eden, was firmly in the New Zealand camp. "I'm a big fan of Kane Williamson. Today, New Zealand, but tomorrow, obviously India," he laughed.Friends Diptojit Ghosh and Sudipto Patra from Amtala in South 24 Parganas were equally animated. Diptojit backed New Zealand, joking, "If they win, there is a possibility India can still win the final. But the kind of form South Africa is in, it will be difficult to beat them in the final, especially in Ahmedabad, where India lost all major matches." Sudipto was in the stands with his father, making it a family outing.Saoni Banerjee from Behala and social media influencer Sirin Hazari from Park Street admitted that the only reason they were rooting for New Zealand was because "the players are good-looking".As the T20 World Cup bid farewell to the Eden Gardens — its seventh and final match here before IPL fixtures begin later this month — the iconic venue once again proved why cricket in Kolkata was never just about one game. "This city loves cricket, no matter if India plays here or not. I also attended the matches between Scotland and England and West Indies and Italy at this very ground and had immense fun," said Biplab Saha, a resident of Jadavpur, who was at the B Block stands with a group of friends.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Holi wishes, messages and quotes !