A Kolkatan who bought tickets for the T20 World Cup finals hoping to cheer India ended up playing the drum for Pakistan.
At the end of the match, Ricky Nakhat loved every bit of it. The Bhowanipore boy from south Kolkata wore the Team India blue shirt to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). In a sea of green, it was hard to miss him.
He was surrounded by a group of Pakistan supporters before he could reach the gallery. The group had one plea — “please cheer for the neighbour because India is already out”.
“They waved their flag, played the drum and danced all the way to the box, everything that we would have done had India reached the finals. Between England and Pakistan, I was anyway tilted towards the latter. The passion of the fans vindicated my decision,” said Nakhat, who owns a travel and tourism firm.
He had carried a Tricolour and waved it along with the Pakistan flag.
England won the hard-fought match on the field. But in the stands, it was a one-sided contest.
“Eighty per cent of the spectators were Pakistani supporters. People of all ages had come — from toddlers in the arms of their mothers to senior citizens,” said Nakhat.
As a Kolkatan and having been to the Eden Gardens, Nakhat is not unfamiliar with cricket fever. But MCG was a different experience, he said.
“The sheer size of the stadium will intimidate a first-timer. I have seen the stadium on television but it looks much bigger to the naked eye,” he said.
At least three Pakistan fans in Nakhat’s gallery came up to him to rue the fact that India could not make it to the finals. “An India-Pakistan final would have been the stuff of dreams,” one of them said.
Nakhat could not have agreed more. When he had bought the tickets, around 20 days ago, Pakistan looked down and out. But a series of unexpected results, and some solid performance, saw them stage a spectacular turnaround.
Glimpses of their form were on display on Sunday.
Nakhat’s favourite moment came when Shaheen Shah Afridi knocked the timber of Alex Hales. The decibel shot through the roof.
“Pakistan could not notch up a big total. They needed early wickets and their talisman just gave them the perfect start. The stands just went berserk. I also took part in the celebration,” he said.
Nakhat’s experience stands out, especially when pitted against an atmosphere of hatred and baying-for-blood rivalry created by a section of people on both sides of the border before an Indo-Pak match.
“I don’t think all that is necessary. Fight hard on the pitch. Shout your hearts out in the stands. But at the end ofthe day, show sportsman spirit,” he said.
He landed in Melbourne on November 10, the same day India crashed out of the World Cup.
“A Pakistani paan seller gave me two free paans as a token of consolation for India’s ouster. In return, he asked for my support in the finals,” said Nakhat.
