Excitement reaches feverish pitch as Indian stars arrive....

Lily

B.R
Staff member
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Mohali: Everything in this city now revolves around cricket.

There is no talk other than Wednesday's match between India and Pakistan.

From the owner of the grocery shop close to my hotel to just everyone has only one question to ask: who will win on March 30?

The hype surrounding the match is so intense that the Punjab Cricket Association decided not to receive Team India players with garlands and flowers like they usually do whenever the team arrive in Hotel Taj.

"Let it all look normal and not put too much pressure on the team with such dramatic welcomes," remarked an organiser.

Opportunity

An exhibition which was to be held at the hotel was cancelled due to Team India's arrival and hence a lot of fans got the opportunity to see the players up close.

As players came out of the bus, fans called out their nicknames.

For skipper Dhoni, they called out "Bhai [brother in Hindi], give us victory!"

Sachin Tendulkar got the loudest cheers. A policeman saluted him. Tendulkar returned the salute with a smile.

Though Harbhajan is out of form, they screamed; "Bhajji, all the best!"

Visa issues

Everyone rushed towards Yuvraj Singh as he stepped out.

Someone from the crowd tried to provoke him by asking: ‘Where's the party tonight?' but he ignored the question to prove that he is now a changed man.

Many Pakistan fans may not get their visa on time for the match as a 30-day verification process is needed before issuing a visa.

To promote friendship through cricket between the two nations, about 10,000 flags — each carrying emblems of both teams — will be distributed to the fans.

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