Tens of thousands of Indian cricket fans crowded the T20 World Cup final stadium on Sunday, and millions more were glued to their televisions, desperate to witness a historic home triumph.
India face New Zealand in Ahmedabad as they attempt to become the first team to retain the trophy, the first to win it on home soil and the first to claim a third world T20 crown.
Cricket’s T20 showpiece, a month-long tournament of 55 matches featuring 20 teams, concludes on Sunday evening at the 130,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket venue.
Diehard supporters arrived from across the country, many clad in Indian colours and waving the tricolour flag as the match began.
Anil, a wedding photographer, travelled 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) by train from the southern city of Hyderabad with his brother, dreaming they would see their team triumph.
“I hope India wins,” said the 18-year-old who goes by only his first name.
Hundreds of vendors, all dressed in Indian jerseys, lined the pavement from the nearest metro rail station to the stadium — painting the entire kilometre-long stretch blue.
“We want to just win this World Cup for the third time,” said Sachin Verma, 32, a banker from Lucknow.
‘Home crowd behind us’
Businessman Yogen Vohra, from Mumbai, turned up with a large group of his friends.
“For us, India are the favourites,” said Vohra, 45.
India, the world’s top-ranked T20 team, knocked out England in a nerve-shredding semi-final in Mumbai.
The match drew 619 million views on streaming platform JioHotstar, according to the company, including a 65 million peak at the same time.
International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah said it “shattered the world record for digital viewership”.
India, the world’s most populous country with 1.4 billion people, is the epicentre of the T20 game through the lucrative Indian Premier League.
In the capital, New Delhi, government civil servant Dilip Vaishnav was hoping Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah would weave his magic again with the ball, as he did against England.
“The team looks in great shape and great spirits. Bumrah, as ever, is the silent guardian of the team,” the 37-year-old said.
Dozens of Bollywood dancers and live music entertained the vast crowds before the match.
Grammy-winning singer Ricky Martin also performed. “Sport and music have a unique way of bringing people together,” Martin said, in a statement ahead of the match, saying it was a “celebration of that shared passion”.
Also on stage were Indian musicians, including Gujarati singer Falguni Pathak and Bhangra star Sukhbir.
Rashid Khan, from Uttar Pradesh state, said he believed “the whole country will stop to watch” Sunday’s blockbuster.
“India has been playing fearless cricket in this tournament,” the 52-year-old said.
“If our top order fires, I don’t see anyone stopping us. New Zealand are always dangerous in knockouts, but with the home crowd behind us, I’m confident India will lift the trophy.” Indian student Mitelesh Guglia, 21, said he was backing his home team — but offered praise to their rivals.
“New Zealand… they are always fierce on the field, but still maintain their sportsmanship in them,” he said. “I think they play with great spirit.”
