Mullanpur stadium gets off the mark in grand fashion with IPL nail-biter
With the nervy first encounter out of the way, fans can look forward to more enthralling action during the remaining PBKS home matches to be played at the venue in April
Cricket fans on Saturday braved the afternoon heat and traffic jams to throng the newly built Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, which hosted its first Indian Premier League (IPL) game between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC).
The icing on the cake was the home team posting a four-wicket victory, bringing smiles on fans’ faces.
With the nervy first encounter out of the way, fans can look forward to more enthralling action during the remaining PBKS home matches to be played at the venue in April. The BCCI is yet to announce the full IPL schedule.
Sam Curran contributed to the team’s total with a pivotal 63 runs off 47 balls, helping his side sail to victory. Besides the barrage of boundaries, fans were also entertained by bhangra and giddha performances.
“We came from Kharar to watch the game. It is my first experience of watching an IPL game live. I am now looking forward to watching a night game under the floodlights. I enjoyed watching Sonam Bajwa groove to Punjabi songs during the innings break,” said Gaurav, a 21-year-old fan.
The stadium was chock-a-block with fans. It may be recalled that the Punjab Cricket Association had been hosting IPL games in Mohali since 2008 and it was for the first time that their other stadium has now hosted an IPL game.
“I am a big Preity Zinta fan, so I have supported PBKS since the start of the IPL. I have been watching IPL matches in Mohali previously, but turning up at the new stadium has been a different experience,” Raman Kaur, 28, said.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah had earlier inaugurated the stadium, with IPL commissioner Arun Dhuman in attendance.
Traffic chaos a dampener
While the cricket was a big hit at the Mullanpur stadium, traffic chaos made life difficult for the fans.
“Everything was haywire on the road leading to the stadium. We started at 2 pm from our home and were able to enter the stadium at 3.45 pm after walking 1 km. I am sure the management will be much better in the coming matches. Otherwise it is a big headache to reach the stadium as the roads are very narrow,” Charanpreet, a fan who was rooting for DC captain Rishabh Pant, making his comeback after 15 months, said.
Over 2,000 cops ensured a tight security cover at the first IPL match being played at the venue. While the highways leading to the stadium were kept motorable, a few roads from nearby villages including Dadumajra were barricaded. Additional force was called in from other districts.
Diversions and barricading were also in place, but snarls were the order of the day.
Besides Mohali police, senior police officers from various special cells and units of the Punjab Police were also deployed at the stadium.
