India’s 40-run victory over Hong Kong here on Wednesday was not the only reason for celebrations. It was doubly special because it came on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi. To keep up the festive feel, official broadcasters Star Sports’ Tamil commentary team decided to wear white veshtis, the popular South Indian garment.
One of the veshti-clad commentators was former Sri Lanka all-rounder Russel Arnold. “It is called verti in Sri Lanka,” Russel, who agreed to a photograph, told The Telegraph, adding that it was the most comfortable attire in UAE’s scorching weather.
Someone quickly remarked that superstar Rajinikanth normally appears in public functions wearing a white veshti.
Opponents in awe
Journalists had to wait a long time for the post-match news conference as the Hong Kong players interacted with the Indian star cricketers after the game, getting the chance to meet them upfront. Skipper Nizakat Khan said they had already met the Pakistan players at breakfast in the hotel. The chance to meet the Indian players, he said, was motivating for the Hong Kong team. A lot of the fans who could not get tickets for Sunday’s India-Pakistan match turned up at the Dubai stadium for the Hong Kong game.
One of them said: “All I wanted was to watch the Indian cricketers in action, something that I have been looking forward to for a long time.” Most of the Indian supporters seemed unfamiliar with Hong Kong cricket, although the Hong Kong Sixes tournament has been held since the early 1990s.
The six-over, six-a-side tournament is sanctioned by the International Cricket Council and several international cricketers have played in it. Wasim Akram and Glenn Maxwell have even won Man of the Tournament awards in 2001 and 2010, respectively. Two Hong Kong fans The Telegraph met said all they wanted was to cheer for their team at such a big event.
Parents on arm
As Man of the Match Suryakumar Yadav struck all around the ground during his unbeaten 26-ball 68, banners like “Sky is the limit for Suryakumar Yadav” popped up all over. Later, the 31-year-old came for the post-match media conference in a sleeveless T-shirt. His arms are covered in tattoos, with one of them a portrait of his parents on the upper right arm.
ID your teams
The India and Hong Kong teams came to the stadium in white luxury coaches but it was not easy to identify them from the outside. This is in sharp contrast with team buses seen during franchise leagues like the Indian Premier League and even the Pakistan Super League and Abu Dhabi T10 tournaments. which are painted in the respective team colours.