Most cricket addicts turn superstitious when India plays a match. As India gets ready to play the World Cup finals, what are their ‘plans’ for the evening?
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| GOOD LUCK: Keeping their fingers crossed, cricket fans are holding on to their superstitions to make India win the cup |
INDIA will lock horns with Sri Lanka for the ultimate cricketing honor tonight. The team in blue has gone past Australia (which many termed as the first final) followed by its victory over Pakistan (the second final). Today is the third, you can call it the biggest final of them all, a match which will give the winner the ICC World Cup 2011. Indian cricket addicts want India to win this one. They want the trophy to come home badly. Such fans are prepared to go to any extent to make it happen: even if that means sitting on one chair without moving an inch throughout the course of the match. So what if someone else who isn’t a diehard cricket lover finds it childish? Turning into a superstitious being when India plays is, well, a part of the game for many cricket lovers. Hear TV anchor Shibani Dandekar, who screams, shouts and cheers for Team India as she believes that it motivates the team to play better. She proudly says, “When we watch Team India bat, we ensure that after every ball that is bowled, we encourage the batsmen by cheering for them at home. When the team is fielding, we keep shouting ‘Indiaaaah Indiiiiaaah’ till the next batsmen comes on the pitch.”
Photographer Sameer Belvalkar too feels that the positive energy really works. He says, “We always watch India play with a big group, including family and friends. Our cheering, high spirits and group energy really encourage the players, we believe. So, for the big game, our gang will be together to make sure the players play well.” Lucky t-shirt, lucky pendant, lucky bat or lucky chair, cricket lovers have their own set of rules for watching the game. The belief is so strong that even a five-month-old is not spared. Tattoo artist Sarina Parhawk smiles and says, “Bleed blue fever is really high. When we watch the match we will all wear blue. During the Indo-Pak match, my friend’s five-month-old son too wore blue. It proved to be really lucky for us as India is now in the World Cup finals. The little boy is our lucky mascot.” Many insist that they are not superstitious by nature, but do everything that ensures India’s win. Hear businessman Mahendra Pratap who makes sure that he sits on the same chair whenever India is playing, “I make it a point to sit on the ‘lucky’ chair all through the match. It’s uncomfortable as I do not even move to attend the nature’s call, but that’s just a small price for India’s win. My family is supportive as they serve everything I want at my seat.”
India’s win against Pakistan was a paisa vasool moment of the tournament and things that were done that day proved to be lucky for India. Animation professional Chetan Deshmukh is going to replicate the atmosphere of the Indo-Pak match for the finals. He says, “Whether you think it’s childish or illogical, it really does not matter as these superstitions work and they are fun too. We believe that the things we did during the mouth-watering match between India and Pakistan will prove to be lucky today as well. So, with the same dholtasha, same clothes and same group of people, we shall meet at the same time to watch the match.” When it comes to India’s win, the fans outdo their cricketing Gods who have their own superstitions. Actor Sachit Patil plans to make his director Vishal Inamdar stand all through the match. He narrates, “It all began during the Indo-Pak match when Sehwag was batting and Vishal had been standing at that time. It was all good until he sat for a moment, and Sehwag got out. Post this, we decided he would stand throughout the finals. We completely believe that, if one position works well for Indian side, we should not change it till the end of the game.”
It may be crazy, absurd or senseless. But the millions of cricket crazy fans who will watch the finals will cling to their superstitions to ‘make’ India win today. For them, logic doesn’t matter.
Photographer Sameer Belvalkar too feels that the positive energy really works. He says, “We always watch India play with a big group, including family and friends. Our cheering, high spirits and group energy really encourage the players, we believe. So, for the big game, our gang will be together to make sure the players play well.” Lucky t-shirt, lucky pendant, lucky bat or lucky chair, cricket lovers have their own set of rules for watching the game. The belief is so strong that even a five-month-old is not spared. Tattoo artist Sarina Parhawk smiles and says, “Bleed blue fever is really high. When we watch the match we will all wear blue. During the Indo-Pak match, my friend’s five-month-old son too wore blue. It proved to be really lucky for us as India is now in the World Cup finals. The little boy is our lucky mascot.” Many insist that they are not superstitious by nature, but do everything that ensures India’s win. Hear businessman Mahendra Pratap who makes sure that he sits on the same chair whenever India is playing, “I make it a point to sit on the ‘lucky’ chair all through the match. It’s uncomfortable as I do not even move to attend the nature’s call, but that’s just a small price for India’s win. My family is supportive as they serve everything I want at my seat.”India’s win against Pakistan was a paisa vasool moment of the tournament and things that were done that day proved to be lucky for India. Animation professional Chetan Deshmukh is going to replicate the atmosphere of the Indo-Pak match for the finals. He says, “Whether you think it’s childish or illogical, it really does not matter as these superstitions work and they are fun too. We believe that the things we did during the mouth-watering match between India and Pakistan will prove to be lucky today as well. So, with the same dholtasha, same clothes and same group of people, we shall meet at the same time to watch the match.” When it comes to India’s win, the fans outdo their cricketing Gods who have their own superstitions. Actor Sachit Patil plans to make his director Vishal Inamdar stand all through the match. He narrates, “It all began during the Indo-Pak match when Sehwag was batting and Vishal had been standing at that time. It was all good until he sat for a moment, and Sehwag got out. Post this, we decided he would stand throughout the finals. We completely believe that, if one position works well for Indian side, we should not change it till the end of the game.”
It may be crazy, absurd or senseless. But the millions of cricket crazy fans who will watch the finals will cling to their superstitions to ‘make’ India win today. For them, logic doesn’t matter.
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