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Mumbaikars plan home IPL parties to catch the fun
The get-togethers are seeing folks dress in team colours and enjoy cricket-themed food and décor.
Cricket is not a sport, but an emotion in India. There’s no further proof of that than the crowds that gather to roar, cheer and have a blast at the matches. The adrenalin is just as high for for those who can’t go to the stadium. With the IPL (Indian Premier League) matches underway. the fun is shifting indoors for a lot of city folks who are having match-watching parties at their home to allow them to partake in the sporty fun with friends and family. Here’s a peek into the ghar-baithe mazaa.
Craze hits home
Entrepreneur Dhawal Oza who’s a die-hard cricket fan had a Mumbai Indians-party at his home two days ago and reveals, “It was crazy! The match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) vs Mumbai Indians (MI) saw the highest runs made in IPL history, so we cheered our hearts out! Of course, the stadium experience is different, but we preferred to be home and watch the match on a large screen as it was hot, plus this way we could catch the replays also.” He adds, “Everyone came to my home in blue team T-shirts and jerseys and there was a lot of shouting and music and a table set aside with party food. We are all set for the next cricket party that’s coming right up.”
Adds Shouger Merchant Doshi, founder of Rainmaker Consults, “We enjoy hosting the IPL matches at our home. Watching the matches with friends at home over conversations, drinks and food and cheering together is so relaxing and that’s on the agenda for us this season.”
Wigs, cricket-themed decor FTW
Special décor and themes are being bought for the party. Dhiraj Daryanani of Party Hunterz in Bandra, affirms the rise in demand for cricket-themed party props since a week.
He says, “There is a huge trend of cricket house parties and people are buying noisemakers, curly wigs in colours to support the diff teams, fancy big eyeglasses, popcorn boxes with a cricket theme with zany quotes like ‘Howzzat’ and ‘Wide and ‘No ball’ and designs cover drives, full toss and straight drive on paper plates and cups.”
Cakes, food on sticks - prepare the party pitch
Food is a big part of the fun and folks are going beyond chips and dips. Restaurateur Zorawar Kalra shares how this year there’s a huge demand for buckets with chicken wings and tenders. “As a huge cricket fan myself, there's nothing better than catching the IPL with friends at home. This year, I'm especially excited to be fuelling the fun with these.”
Chef Virendra Rawat of Good Food Concept, adds, “We’ve got a bunch of orders for the cricket home parties for jalapeno-feta cigar rolls, guacamole tarts, mini sliders and flatbread pizzas. People like innovation, too, and what's also very popular are our Vietnamese chicken pate on sugarcane sticks.”
They’re rounding the meal off with cricket-themed desserts. Informs Swheta Aggarwal of Kookie Cake Crumble, “People want cakes with elements cricket on it such as bat and ball, stumps and wicketkeeper, made using fondant. It's delicious and adds to the whole fun mood.”
