Sanju Chetta, butter-fingered Abhishek, and fish served with wishes

By K.R. Nayar
From Wankhede Stadium

Mumbai. Soon after Sanju Samson hit the match-winning knock against the West Indies, a few journalists, knowing I am from Kerala, asked me what Chetta meant. Most social media posts with Samson’s photo have used the word Chetta. Since Samson is respectfully called by that name in Kerala, which means elder brother in Malayalam, some wanted to know how it differed from Anna (which means brother in Tamil).

Sanju Samson in traditional mundu. Photo: Instagram

Scoreboards may read Samson, commentators say Sanju, but across all Malayalee homes around the world, those younger than him address him as Sanju Chetta. When he hits a six, it stretches longer to “Sanjuuu Chettaaa!” That call turns philosophical if he fails. From nurses in the Gulf and around the world to students from Kerala studying abroad, this alert is fixed for actors Mohanlal, Mammooty, and now Samson. Whenever he has played a match-winning knock, the pride in Malayalees travels faster than the fastest delivery in world cricket. But what makes him a darling, more than his batting, is his gentle smile.

A kiosk selling Donuts. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

Mad over the traffic

 One must always leave early for the airport from Kolkata — not out of punctuality, but survival. The city’s traffic is as unpredictable as a T20 chase. The India–West Indies match only swelled the already overflowing roads. Many were stranded for hours, inching forward like a defensive batsman on a tricky pitch, desperately trying to reach the gates. At one of the entrances stood a kiosk selling donuts with the slogan ‘Mad Over Donuts’. For fans who arrived late after wrestling with the traffic, it probably felt more like ‘Mad Over Traffic’. There was nothing sweet about that delay.

Amul and butter-fingered Abhishek

At Eden Gardens, one has to walk through the spectators’ seating area to reach the press box — and that walk is often more entertaining than the match itself. The sharpest commentary does not always come from the commentary box. When Abhishek Sharma dropped a couple of easy catches, one spectator muttered that he must have had too much butter and perhaps had forgotten to wash his hands. The timing of that joke was perfect. Amul — makers of some of India’s finest butter and dairy products are one of the associate partners for Star Sports live coverage. Cricket humour, like good butter, spreads instantly.

Thums Up can with the image of Rishabh Pant. Photo by K,R. Nayar  

At the time when Sanju Samson was in full flow, Thums Up cans distributed in the press box had the image of Rishabh Pant. It seemed like while Samson was performing brilliantly, Pant was waiting in the wings.

 

The bell at the Eden Gardens. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

The bell at Eden Gardens

Eden Gardens takes pride in a massive bell located in the lower tier of the Club House. It serves as a ceremonial tradition to inaugurate play, echoing the iconic custom at Lord’s. During this ongoing World Cup, it was rung by England’s Eoin Morgan and Australia’s Matthew Hayden. Legends from other sports have also rung the bell, including Viswanathan Anand, one of India’s greatest chess players.

Best of fish dishes

Serving the best fish dishes is a tradition among the people from this state. At the top of the menu list for the media was a dish called Bhetki Fish Orly. It is also a tradition for the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), along with The Calcutta Sports Journalists Club (CSJC), to not only host a dinner but also to present gifts to visiting journalists. 

Fish always tops the menu. Photo by K.R. Nayar  

This dinner too had a variety of fish items. In Kolkata, a meal without fish is like a sentence without a verb. CAB and CSJC also brought out a small souvenir with contributions from many top journalists about their memories of Eden Gardens. Sourav Ganguly, who is the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal, wrote the lead article in which he said he feels proud to have grown up playing on this ground.