Kol cheers power Men in Blue in Mum to T20 WC final in Ahmedabad

Kolkata: It was the moment city cricket fans had been waiting for a month — Men in Blue reaching the final of the T20 World Cup at home. At times, it seemed difficult as Suryakumar Yadav's men crossed swords with Harry Brook's England in a close contest in Mumbai on Thursday evening that swung either way, often leaving fans with their hearts skipping a beat. Jacob Bethell made it seem that the match would end in a heartbreak but Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube had already done the damage with their devastating innings, triggering celebrations across Kolkata yet again.It was time for another round of crackers and gulal with Team India ensuring that the Holi celebrations were extended. With both India and England playing inconsistently, fans were on the edge. "After watching New Zealand butcher South Africa on Wednesday evening, honestly I was quite shocked and felt anything can happen. With the Indian batters firing inconsistently, I was skeptical. Though this was always gonna be the game to watch for us Indian fans. England found a hero in almost every game and that's the kind of team they are — a team that plays Test cricket in T20 mode! Wankhede favours the batsmen so I hoped that Abhishek Sharma will regain his touch. But what an innings it was from Samson who just continued from where he left off in the last game. And he found support from Dube who hit those mighty sixes to power India to a commanding total," said entrepreneur Mahesh Punjabi.
Big screens had been set up across neighbourhoods, malls and restaurants. By 5 pm, members started walking into Calcutta Rowing Club (CRC) which showed the game on a giant screen. South City mall reverberated with the frenzied cheer of fans who gathered at the atrium and along the corridors to catch the action on the big screen. As Samson thrashed Jofra Archer over the cover fence, the mall erupted with a thunderous roar.Mumbai bank staffer and cricket fan Rishabh Ghosh Dastidar, who had flown down to Kolkata to watch the India-West Indies match, said he had expected an electrifying game which came true. "The English team found form at the correct time. But Archer's pace and Adil Rashid's spin were murdered by our top order. Butler has remained rather quiet this tournament and somehow these big guns end up finding form in these big games. Fortunately, our bowlers proved equal to the task and restricted them," said Rishabh.The atmosphere was electric and the match a thriller, said techie Souvik De who stayed put on the same chair at his home till the match ended. "I loved watching Samson hammer the English bowlers. Ishan Kishan and Dube, too, chipped in with useful knocks. It was a power-packed performance. Now, India look invincible," said De.Bars and restaurants spilled over with fans cheering India over food and drinks. "What a fabulous display of batting by Team India led by a brilliant Sanju Samson. Tilak Varma and Dube, too, were brilliant with those sixes. I thoroughly enjoyed the game," said Sreeraj Mitra, COO of an advertising firm, who watched the game at Chapter 2. Fans cheered every six at Songhai which got visitors a free drink. "The atmosphere was electric and there were sixes galore. Our guests loved watching India's power packed batting. This was a big game and everyone felt the pressure. But what a performance yet again from Team India," said Songhai owner Sudesh Poddar.