Kol fans wait for ‘quarter final’ with prayers on their lips

Kolkata: As fans prepared for an India-West Indies showdown at Eden Gardens on Sunday evening, the Maidan swarmed with people desperate for tickets, a scene reminiscent of pre-IPL days. Blue Indian jerseys are selling rapidly across Maidan market stalls, restaurants and clubs are set to remain fully occupied with advance bookings, and neighbourhoods are erecting giant screens. As hundreds of fans travel to the city for the game, flight prices shot up.
On a website, the price of a Club House ticket touched Rs 96,000 on Friday. Bank employee Rishabh Ghosh Dastidar and his wife, Natasha, flew into Kolkata from Mumbai for the match on Saturday. "Both the match and flight tickets cost me a fortune but I don't mind. The moment it became clear India would play West Indies at Eden, I decided to come down. I am a Kolkata boy and have a soft spot for Eden," said Rishabh.Entrepreneur Mahesh Punjabi will be at Eden with his daughter and five friends. "While we have a group of 12 friends who tour the world watching India play, this time we couldn't. This one will be a do-or-die game in a World Cup at a favourite venue," said Punjabi. The lowest price for a Mumbai-Kolkata ticket on Saturday was Rs 20,000, from Bengaluru Rs 12,000, from Delhi Rs 8,000 and from Chennai Rs 8,200. Around 2,000-3,000 could be travelling to Kolkata for the match, said Anil Punjabi, chairman (Eastern Region) of the Travel Agents' Federation of India. "This is a high-octane game that any cricket fan would travel far to watch. Also, many Kolkatans settled elsewhere are combining a Holi trip with the match. It is like a carnival. The anticipation is electric — you can almost feel it in the air," said Punjabi.Restaurants and bars are ready to pull in fans with offers on food and beverages. Every Indian six will fetch a free drink at Songhai and MS Bar & Lounge in central Kolkata. Chapter 2 on Southern Avenue is ready for a full house. Cocktails are christened Sixer, Square Cut, hit-wicket, and Googly. It is also offering free starters with beer and has a 2:1 offer on select brands of liquor during the match.