IPL 2018 | Gautam Gambhir embraces franchisesâ bit for their fans
DD captain Gautam Gambhir has been all praise for the franchises, embracing the efforts that they have put in to take care of their fans. The skipper has also touched upon the point that their combinations havenât been right and would be looking to turn their fortunes around in the game against RCB.
Chennai Super Kings had to shift their games from Chennai to Pune due to protests, which was sad news for their fans. However, the franchise did try to make up for it by introducing a special train called "Whistlepodu Express". Not only was the train, even the match passes, food, local accommodation in Pune were taken care of by the management. The bottom-placed team skipper, Gautam Gambhir, in his column for TOI, looked quite impressed with the way franchises have treated their fans so far and revealed that during his Indian team days, such privileges for the fans were hard to come by.Â
âI have noticed two most amazing gestures from my rival teams. Both are for fans and you have to be an absolute cynic to point out any commercial angles in them. Before I share those considerate acts let me put the context out. I have often felt that for Indian cricket, the fans are either an afterthought or they are taken for granted,â Gambhir wrote in Saturdayâs TOI.Â
âThe access to tickets, the pricing, parking lots, accessibility to the stadium, and separate enclosure for ladies, medical facilities, comfortable seats, toilets, drinking water, food, and all these aspects need a lot of attention. Amid all this, Chennai Super Kings organized a chartered train for its fans to travel to Pune to watch the game against Rajasthan Royals. You must be aware that CSK games had to be shifted out of Chennai to Pune due to protests. Media reports have suggested that all expenses including food, local accommodation and transport, match tickets and the return journey to Chennai will be taken care of by the management,â the former Indian skipper mentioned.
Gambhir was also quick to appreciate RCB, who retired their jersey number 12 earlier this year, stating that it belonged to the fans, who were their 12th man.Â
âIn a slightly different sort of a way, Bangalore did their bit before this yearâs IPL started. They retired jersey No. 12 claiming that it belonged to the RCB fans, the real 12th man of the team. Yes, RCB fans would still be looking for their teamâs first title, but these are small dots which spread loyalties beyond wins and losses. Therefore, it is no surprise that Chinnaswamy Stadium is roaring at the opposition when they enter the arena. We expect nothing different when we play there on Saturday.â
Delhi hasnât had an IPL campaign they would have hoped for. They have managed to win only one game in the four games they have played so far. In their last match, DD
âAs I was writing this article, it started to rain heavily. This is the most depressing sight for any sportsman and more so for a captain whose team is at the bottom of the points table. I felt nervous. We have already been bugged by rain during our game against Royals in Jaipur. The result in that match could have been different but for the rain. We surely donât want a repeat. When something like this happens, I do two things to quell my anxiety: First, check the forecast on at least two credible websites. Damn, both suggested rains on Saturday too. Second, I start to apply the principle of causality,â Gambhir wrote.
âI start to
DelhiÂ
âRCB will be banking on Virat and AB de Villiers. I was wondering what if they still had Chris Gayle in the ranks. The Universe Boss owned the IPL on Thursday night like only he does. In this kind of mood, we are not missing him. Maybe the RCB team and their coveted 12th man is,â the Daredevils skipper added.