Fans take guard for super Sunday clash with prayers on lips at Palkhi

Bars and restaurants have "taken guard" with special match packages.Fans are ready for the "inside-out" view at individual homes .Enthusiasts will take "prayer break" at scheduled Palkhi
The heat of Sunday's Champions Trophy final between subcontinent arch rivals India and Pakistan in England would be palpable miles away in the city.
The excitement is intense.Most discussions on Saturday veered around what would happen on 22 yards at Kennington Oval. The teams are clashing in an ICC championship final after 10 years - the last match being the 2007 T20 World Cup final.
Those offering home delivery of food are expected to be among the busiest on Sunday. For, families would enjoy the match together with the women taking a break from kitchen duty.
Almost all of the known party hotspots in the city have dished out offers, flush with food and liquor choices, discounts, live music and disc jockeys. Some of them have advertised in newspapers. The others have been using WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms to get their offers across to potential patrons.
Bars in and around Koregaon Park and Kalyaninagar are known for cashing in on sports events. This Sunday will be no different.
"We are offering two packages. Besides screening the game for our patrons, we shall be bringing in a dhol player and a disc jockey. They will be in action after every four and six hit by the Indian team," says Saurabh of the Classic Rock Coffee Bar in Kalyaninagar.
Aufside@Hotfut, a sports bar off Shankarsheth Road, is offering similar packages and attractions like a dhol player.
The family of Pune's very own Kedar Jadhav, who is tipped to be in the playing eleven on Sunday, is gearing up for the big clash. "Yes, we shall watch the match tomorrow (Saturday)," says Mahadev Jadhav, the father of Indian middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav.
The match time clashes with Palkhi. A significant number of young people, along with a special dindi (group) of IT professionals, will participate in it.
"We know there is an important match on Sunday, but more than 1,100 people have registered for the procession. They will be focused on the wari, as that is an important part of our culture. But we shall also pray at the procession that India emerges victorious," says Ajay Bhajne, an organizer, with a laugh.