04 April 2021
The IPL is here and the Chennai Super Kings are about to play their first game of the campaign. I have been waiting for the IPL to begin and watch the Kings in action. It is close to my heart and the three hours of cricket bring so much joy to me. But Why?
Thanks to my parents, I have been a fan of various sports since childhood and like most Indians growing up in the 80's and 90's, Cricket was top of that list. Post-liberalization and the entry of satellite television gave access to European football which breathed new life into my sporting fandom. The opportunity to watch games weekly league was rhythmic compared to the oddly structured cricketing season. The betting scandal in the early 2000s made me distant with cricket and pushed me towards football.
The football clubs of historic European cities Milan, Munich, Barcelona, Madrid, London made it all the more exotic. It was no longer about just about the game, it gave a lens to view foreign culture with a perspective. Arsenal under Arsene Wenger were the perfect combination and I became an ardent fan of the club. Waking up at 1 am to watch Champions League games with little concern for the university lecture or the work day ahead became quite normal. Arsenal matches were of the highest priority and would plan family time, friends and other activities around it. I had never been to London but there was a sense of bonding with Arsenal fans around the world.
Fast forward to 2016, I landed in the UK to do my MBA at Cranfield University. The first weekend in the UK, I travelled to London and visited the Emirates Stadium. I still remember my heart pounding as I stood outside the arena close to Bergkamp's statue. I even got a chance to see Ozil and Sanchez combine to destroy Chelsea, life couldn't get any better than this. I had gone thrice to the Emirates by the time I graduated in Sep 2017.
My family moved over to the UK in Jan 2018 which involved actions and chores to support their settling down and feeling at home. Suddenly I was no longer a student with a tourist mentality but a husband and a father making the rest of the family at home. It was in 2018 that CSK made a comeback from their 2 year hiatus. As time passed by the irony of missing home and helping the family be at home needed that release. The Chennai Super Kings provided that tribal affiliation and rekindled my love for the city.
CSK won the 2018 edition and came close in 2019 but they look like a spent force going forward. Despite that Chennai is Chennai and Whistle Podu is here to stay.
