'Whole country will stop' as India dreams of home World Cup glory / Photo: R. Satish BABU - AFP
'Whole country will stop' as India dreams of home World Cup glory
Tens of thousands of Indian cricket fans streamed toward the T20 World Cup final stadium Sunday and millions more will be 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.
Anil, a wedding photographer, travelled 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) by train from the southern city of Hyderabad with his brother dreaming they will 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.
- '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 (ICC) 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, like 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 will be part of the show ahead of the match, which begins at 7:00 pm (1330 GMT).
Grammy Awards winning singer Ricky Martin will also perform -- the 1990s pop icon last month guest-starred at the Super Bowl, alongside fellow Puerto Rican Bad Bunny.
"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 will be 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."
L.Hansson--StDgbl
