[1]Team Delhi Daredevils has packed its bags and the spot-fixing allegations have revealed a murky facet of cricketainment, but cricket lovers in the city refuse to stay disappointed and are all set to enjoy the thrill of playoffs. They are still cheering and enjoying the spirit of the game, even if it is not for their own home team. With strong contenders Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad vying to win the IPL 6 trophy, cricket fans are now changing loyalties and rooting for other teams and players from various camps.
While some are supporting Chennai Super Kings, which has been performing consistently well, many are cheering for their favourite players irrespective of the teams they play for.
IPL matches are more about sports spirit than cities, says IT expert Jiten Jain. When Ricky Pointing of Mumbai Indians celebrates a wicket with Sachin Tendulkar it is both surprising and delightful, he says. “I don’t care about the spot-fixing charges. Those who fall for money are just a few in number while most of the players play for their passion for the sport. I am a die-hard fan of Sachin Tendulkar and would continue to follow him and other sincere players irrespective of what illegal activities others get involved in,” adds Jiten.
Ankit Srivastava, a cricket fan, will be enjoying the second playoff between Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad at Feroz Shah Kotla this evening. And he is keeping his fingers crossed that his favourite team Chennai Super Kings makes it to the finals. “For today, I am supporting Rajasthan but I am also cheering for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is the most dynamic player. And his team Chennai Super Kings is a fighter and tries to win against all odds. In so many matches they have fought till the end and came up as winners. They can turn a match. And I cannot help but support what I think is the best team this season,” says Ankit.
However, Ashwarya Singh, another cricket lover, was very disappointed when Delhi Daredevils lost one match after another. “Dinesh Karthik was with Delhi Daredevils for the first two seasons and he did nothing memorable. But now when he is playing passionately for Mumbai Indians, he is breaking records. I would love to see Delhi winning the series, but this season, when they are already out of the race, I am supporting two other teams. Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians are the two strongest teams battling it out for the trophy,” says Aishwarya.
Anant Mishra, an engineer by profession, says, “I always cheer for my home team but if another team is playing well it gets a thumbs up from me,” says Anant.
It seems Yuvraj Singh’s fan following is also taking away Delhi fans’ loyalties. Parul Pandey swears by her favourite player Yuvraj. “Yuvraj showed an unforgettable game during the World Cup and I would like to see Yuvraj play more,” says Parul, who adds that unless Yuvraj joins the Delhi team she would continue to cheer for whichever team he plays for.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/tab6jpg-766