To the disappointment of scores of Indian cricket fans, the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is now being held at South

Africa. While a fix on the venue ensures that the tournament is being held as per schedule on April 10, it also means that Indians will miss out on the action on field and will have to be content with watching the matches on television. When Thane Plus caught up with some fans in the city, they expressed varied opinions over this change in venue for one the most-awaited cricketing events in the world today.

Thane’s Sudhir Vaidya, a veteran cricket statistician, is also the official statistician of the tournament. He said that while the decision was made following a lot of deliberation, it was something that the organisers may have made to facilitate a smooth and enjoyable event. “Though this is disappointing for the Indian fans, there was definitely a reason why the venue for the second season of IPL was changed to South Africa. I think the economy and tourism of India will definitely get a small dent, but the flavour of the event will not change much. It is an event that the cricketing world has come to love and will support and cheer on, regardless of wherever it is going to be held,” he reckoned, adding, “This tournament gives opportunities to so many budding young players. For them, playing on foreign soil will be a huge revelation. That is one way of looking at this.”

Most fans said that it is really sad that they will not be able to catch up with the action on field. Suresh Sathe, a Thane (E) resident, reminisces his experience of visiting the D Y Patil Stadium last year to watch the final match of the tournament between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. “I remember the rush to book tickets for the match. As soon as the venue for the finals was announced, I geared up to secure the tickets for the match. The experience was simply inexplicable. The swanky new stadium was bursting with excitement and energy. The match was a rather interesting one, but not as much as some of the others in the tournament. This year, of course, I will not get the opportunity to watch the matches live, which is really disappointing. Also, it’s difficult to catch the matches that will begin at 4.30 pm as I will be at work then. I just hope I get to catch as much action of this season of IPL as I can. I don’t think I’ll be less excited this year because the match is going to be held abroad,” he said.

“Why call it Indian Premier League if it cannot be held in India?” asks a Mohat Sethi, a dejected cricket fan. Sethi says the whole point of having a tournament like this is to promote India as a brand. “Last year, the Indian government earned crores from the tournament. International events like this boost the host country’s economy and tourism. I am sure by next year, other cricketing countries will be lining up to host the event elsewhere. I think the country, on the whole, has lost a lot of opportunities to do good business because of the shift in venue,” believed Sethi.

Some residents say it was a wise decision to shift the venue to South Africa. “One cannot compromise on the security of scores of people. If security is a concern in India as the event coincides with the Parliamentary polls, I think that’s a good enough reason for the organisers change the venue,” said Riya Bose, a student and a cricket fan. “I believe that it’s always important to look at things from a larger perspective. While South Africa is a safer place to hold the event, it is a cricket-loving nation that has so many Indians who will be at the venues to cheer the players. So there won’t be a dearth of crowd support for the players. I think we should just relax, sit back and enjoy the event with our families at home,” she smiled.

Source – timesofindia.indiatimes.com