Weekend crowd prefers IPL to Bollywood movies

New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) For the crowd which turned up in huge numbers for the match between Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab at the Ferozshah Kotla grounds here Saturday, watching Indian Premier League (IPL) is ‘more entertaining’ than going out for a Bollywood movie.

The increase in fans turnout on the weekend for the first day-night IPL (and third overall) game here was apparent. Chants of ‘Dilli Jeetegi’ could be heard right from the parking lot of the packed 44,000-capacity stadium. And most of them came to have a wild Saturday night party irrespective of who wins the battle on the ground.

‘Watching a cricket match is any day better than watching a movie. It’s a weekend and I am here to have a good time. I am not really here to support a team,’ Vihang Jain, a college student told IANS.

The locals were not the only ones to share this view.

‘It becomes tricky to support a team in IPL. Supporting India or your state Ranji team is natural but these matches are purely for entertainment,’ said Balaji Seshadari, an engineer who hails from Chennai.

The earlier matches in the capital could only attract a modest crowd but the numbers in this clash of the northern franchises was a testimony to how much Delhiites love their cricket. It was a carnival atmosphere in and outside the stadium with the fans getting their face painted in tri-colour and some wearing the Daredevils jersey.

‘The earlier matches received an ordinary turnout as it was all day matches and the team was not performing well. I don’t have the figures yet but today it should be more than 40,000,’ a GMR official told IANS.