Cricket Euphoria In City Reaches A Crescendo In Last Over Thriller

Hyderabad : The excitement around the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal was palpable on Sunday evening as thousands thronged the venue to watch the third and final T20I between India and Australia. The stadium played host to a cricket match after a gap of almost three years.

Right from the afternoon — hours before the two teams came out on the field — the roads leading to Uppal stadium were jam-packed as fans turned up early to ensure they could grab their seats in time for the game.

Along with the sea of cricket enthusiasts, the dozens of hawkers who had descended on the streets there added to the buzz. They were seen selling various merchandise including Indian cricket team jerseys, caps, headbands, flags, air horns, and masks, among others. There were also those who were getting their faces painted either with the Tricolour or the initials of their favourite cricketers.

Given the strict security system in place, some fans had to face disappointment after guards forced them to ditch their air horns and sticks holding flags, among other items near the gate, before entering the stadium.

Those were among the things banned on the ground. Despite the scrutiny and rush, cricket fans were ecstatic.

Right from the time the teams started their warmup, which is at least a couple of hours before the start of the match, the crowd started cheering, especially when they saw their favourite players — Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, among others — walk out on the field.

Despite the high prices, snacks kept flying off the trays of vendors selling them.