Anxiety mounts among UAE cricket fans to watch the IPL from the stadium

By K.R. Nayar

Speak of Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE, and the first question from anyone is whether spectators would be permitted into the stadium.  It is likely that the absence of fans may not get the players to be pumped up as they would in their presence. Could cheer girls and music or songs between intervals liven them up?

 IPL spectators cheering during matches in India 

As the start of the Indian Premier League, set to commence from September 19, comes closer, the big question among all fans in the UAE is whether spectators will be allowed to watch the action live in the stadium. The IPL has so far been held in front of thousands of cheering fans only. To perform in front of empty stands is not going to be an enjoyable experience, especially for the youngsters in the team. Imagine, a youngster who manages to hit Jasprit Bumrah for a six getting clapped only by his teammates.

A solution to such a dull situation could be by introducing cheer girls to cheer for the players from different parts of the stadium during exciting moments of the game. Like England pacer Jofra Archer had suggested, authorities here should also try and play a recording of the cheering of the crowd just to simulate the original experience, and maybe play some music during intervals. All of these could possibly ignite some excitement among players in the middle.

Cheer girls during the IPL 

Though former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar often makes many bizarre statements, his comment “Playing cricket in an empty stadium is like a marriage without a bride" sums up the mood of the fans in the UAE to a great extent. 

But for this pandemic, someone would have sponsored Sachin Tendulkar fan Sudhir Kumar Gautam's and Mahendra Singh Dhoni fan Ram Babu's trip to UAE to play the role of cheerleaders. Characters like these are a must for the creation of an exciting atmosphere at the stadium. They bring in the spirit to every match, and when they cheer their heroes, spectators follow.

While reporting matches, I’ve always made it a point to step out of the press box, walk through the stands, if possible, and look out for interesting banners from spectators. Some of them are often hilarious, and in the IPL many arrive holding such banners.  These banners are not only about hailing their heroes or their favourite teams. Some of them would say “Please avoid focusing the TV camera on me, my wife thinks I am at work.” Another one held high by a young woman once said: “My boyfriend said it’s either me or IPL, so here I am.”

Creative bannners are part of the IPL frenzy 

Chennai Super Kings has always been used to their supporters whistling for them. In fact, the team encourages that too through their 'Whistle podu' campaign. Most top cricketers have fan clubs, and some of these clubs could fly in for the IPL should spectators be permitted.

When a UAE fan was told that spectators may not be permitted, his first question was: “If there are no spectators, who will retrieve the ball quickly when Chris Gayle hits his sixes into the stands?"  A domestic umpire from the UAE remarked that umpires officiating in the IPL would be a happy lot because, with no spectators and the associated commotion, they would be able to hear even the faintest snick by the batsman to the wicket-keeper.

As of now, the news is that this 53-day tournament may pass off silently without spectators. The large turn-out was the main factor behind the success of the IPL. So this will be a testing time for the league if it is held without the fulcrum around which IPL revolved.

 In 2016, Dhoni, while speaking to media, had said: “Indian fans follow us everywhere wherever we are playing. Even if we are playing in a Bermuda Triangle, they will be there.” In this context, I am reminded of a banner held aloft by two fans during the IPL 2014 in UAE, which read: “If there is no IPL in heaven, we don’t want to be there.”