Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
NAWABI BRIGADE SET TO TAKE ON ROYALS
After the Dhoni fans turned Ekana stadium yellow last week, the blue jersey is set to make a comeback today in this battle of royals
deep.saxena@htlive.com espite the overwhelming ‘yellow storm’ in Lucknow stadium on April 19, the undeterred Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) defeated the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on their home ground. And again, the CSK could not break the winning streak of the boys in blue in another match played in Chennai.
Once again, the LSG supporters are expected to turn the stadium blue with morales soaring high as they play against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Saturday.
As both teams clash at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee
DEkana Cricket Stadium, we look at the buzz around the fifth match in the state capital this season.
Lucknowi welcome!
RR captain Sanju Samson’s team got a warm welcome with tiny tots of a city school greeting the players. The Rajasthan Royals players obliged the kids with autographs and smiles.
Class 8 student Aastha was on cloud nine. “I felt so excited while taking autographs of the team and having pictures with the players, especially with the captain, Sanju Samson.” Students Aditya and Suhani Jha were elated to meet spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.
“I felt great meeting the master players and Trent Bolt sir,” says Advika, a student of Class 7. Other students too got a chance to get autographs and click photos. They thanked the school’s chairman Sarvesh Goel for providing them the opportunity.
Morale high
LSG Brigade community manager Sundram Singh Chandel says after back-to-back wins, their morale is very high. “Since I joined the fan community last year I have been there at all matches and went to Mohali also to support the team. Ours is unconditional love. We are there to celebrate the moment and not the result. And, if the result is victory then it is more the reason to be happy. This time we hope the stadium will again turn blue and the Nawabs win over the strong Royals.” On Friday, the fan community organised an Artshala at Jaipur School.
Blue, it is!
Last Saturday, the sellers all over the place were out selling No 7 yellow jerseys due to MS Dhoni’s mammoth fan-following. This time blue is expected to make a comeback. “Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni log IPL se bade hai. Log unko support karte hai. Par is baar mujhle lagta hai sab blue hi kharidengey aur Lucknow ko support karengey,” says Rajesh Kumar, a roadside jersey seller.
In the last match slogan ‘Hum chahte hain Dhoni run kare, par jeet Lucknow ki ho’ clicked well due to MSD’s fan-following but this time locals want KL, Marcus Stoinis and Nicholas Pooran to fire and LSG to inch towards the final play-off.