Need of the hour: A book on ‘How to watch a cricket final without support from a cardiologist’

By K.R. Nayar
From Narendra Modi Stadium

Ahmedabad. ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ is one of the most popular books written by American author and teacher Dale Carnegie. The tension and pressure among the fans here is so palpable that a book on ‘How to watch a cricket final calmly’ would be a useful handbook. During the pre-match press conference, both captains were asked about pressure on them before the final. Since there are no reference books, their responses were repetitive. 

Today, the city is like a pressure cooker, with fans who would act like the whistle. Superstition is also likely to rule the day with many believing that a small movement could result in the fall of a wicket, even though they may know that sitting long without movement can be more dangerous than smoking. I wonder whether anyone would go to the extent of even refusing to change his breathing pattern once his team starts doing well. Since there have been so many instances of people not moving from a seat, it is time someone considered standing throughout the entire innings as a healthy superstition.

This is also the right time for a health expert to write on ‘How to watch a T20 World Cup final without support from a cardiologist’. Carnegie should have included watching cricket as a chapter in his book on ‘How to make friends and influence people’ so that complete strangers would hug each other if their team wins. Unfortunately, sometimes it could be a sweaty fan who may have refused to change or wash his lucky shirt after India’s last win. 

Before, during, and after a final match, there will be many experts who would comment on a bowler’s or a batsman’s action, though he may be someone who has been repeatedly bowled out by his neighbour’s son while playing tennis-ball cricket.

Policemen quenching their thirst from cans of water kept ready for them. Photo by K.R. Nayar

Sea of police

It is a rare sight to see thousands of police personnel standing so close to each other. While entering the stadium for the pre-match press conference, one could see a sea of policemen and policewomen taking instructions from their top officials on how to control the over 100,000 people who are likely to turn up for the final. Huge cans of water were kept ready, and hundreds of chairs were laid out in the parking lot for them. 

ICC's poster on instructions to be followed during a stampede. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

After the June 4, 2025 stampede in Bengaluru, which resulted in 11 deaths during the Royal Challengers Bangalore Indian Premier League victory celebrations, the International Cricket Council has made posters with instructions to be followed to avoid a stampede. One interesting instruction was not to believe in rumours and not to spread them if there was a stampede! It would be useful to follow this even if there was none.

 

Entrance to the Sardar Patel Stadium. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

Cricket’s forgotten stadium

There is hardly a stadium in India that does not have a proud cricketing history. Some may not be hosting international cricket matches anymore and some have been forgotten, but they stand proudly as the first to have provided the taste of an international cricket. One such stadium is the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium here, from where the media bus leaves for the stadium on match day.

Ishan Pendharkar, an ardent cricket fan who never misses an international cricket match here, said: “Very few may know that this was the stadium that hosted India’s first-ever ODI match. England beat India by five wickets in that match. This is also the stadium where the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) was held.” In fact, the ICL had invested a lot on this stadium in installing floodlights. Incidentally, it has a capacity of 50,000, even more than some of the leading cricket stadiums in India.

Ishan Pendharkar with Sunil Gavaskar 

This stadium hasn’t staged an international match since the Narendra Modi Stadium (then Motera Stadium) came up in 1982, eventually leading to its redevelopment to have the present stadium in 2020 with a capacity of 1,30,000.

 Allahuddien Paleker and Amol Palekar

Allahuddien Paleker is the third umpire for the final. His name reminded many of Amol Palekar, the legendary Indian actor and director. Allahuddien is a South African of Maharashtrian descent from Ratnagiri district.

Amol Palekar's popular movie poster at the Gujarat Sports Club's mini theatre. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

Amol’s popular movies are Chitchor and Golmaal, and it was surprising to see a poster of Golmaal, which can be watched in Gujarat Sports Club’s mini theatre that shows only India’s classic movies. People in this city are said to enjoy classical movies and are glad that international cricket matches held here are steadily becoming classics in world cricket as well.