Mauka! Lucknowites ready for Indo-Pak ‘battle’

It’s all set for a perfect Sunday evening with Team India taking on their archrival Pakistan at the ICC Champions Trophy in England. Cricket buffs in the state capital are all set to make the most of the exciting encounter with clubs, pubs, restaurants and hotels too gearing up for the special occasion.

HT City spoke to cricket enthusiasts and youths about their plans for the day. Prince Sahu, a guitar teacher, has cancelled all his classes on Sunday to enjoy the match with friends and family. He will be getting food, soft drinks and crackers ready for victory celebrations.

Uttkarsh, a former student of CMS too has special plans. “We are going to watch the match together like we did in school days at a friend’s place. One of my friend’s mother is from Pakistan, so it’s even more fun when he’s cheering for India,” he says.

Anushka Srivastava, a student is not a cricket buff, but she is ready for the occasion. “I am not really a cricket enthusiast but a match between India and Pakistan is something I never miss. I am going to stay home and watch it with my family. For us it’s like a festival we celebrate together,” she says.

On the other hand Sugam Paswan will be watching the match with friends on a giant screen that has been put up at the poolside of his township while Shreshth Pathak will also watch it on a big screen that has been put up in his locality.

Medical student Ayushman Tewari who is gearing up for his exams says the match will be an exception. “I’m not going to let my country down during this pitched battle. With Kohli as our captain, I have no doubt that we will win this match.”

Similarly, Ayushi Mishra, a graduate from Lucknow PG College says, “All my friends are talking about the match on our WhatsApp group. We are hosting a small get together at my friend’s place.”

Meanwhile, Shalini Kanaujia, a student at Awadh Girls Degree College, got an invite on Facebook from a café asking her to come for the live screening of the match. She plans to watch it with her friends.

To cash upon the muchawaited match, food joints too have come up with special offers. Hashtag Café will show casing live screening of the India-Pakistan match on LED screen, said its owner Raj Saluja. Aura Lounge too have an ambience ready with the tagline ‘The tiger is ready to hunt’ and have come up food and beverage offer. Meanwhile, Novotel has a special offer for the entire duration of the Champions Trophy at its Square restaurant, which includes unlimited aerated beverages, starters and lavish dinner at attractive prices. Clubs too have geared up with giant screens on their premises.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to unleash your passion and cheer for #TeamIndia.

I am not really a cricket enthusiast but a match between India and Pakistan is something I never miss. For us it’s like a festival we celebrate together. ANUSHKA SRIVASTAVA, STUDENT