Forecast no bar, spirits soar on KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 opener match at Eden Gardens
Telegraph | 23 March 2025
Over 65,000 people dared the looming threat of rain and they had their money’s worth even before the first ball was bowled at Eden Gardens.
Shah Rukh Khan, the emcee, shakes a leg with Virat Kohli and Rinku Singh. A multitude of people go “lut-put” over “jhoome jo pathaan”.
Khan introduces Kohli, his team’s on-field opponent, as the “OG and the original GOAT”.
Berserk by then, many in the stands do not know their loyalties anymore. They alternately scream for Virat, Shah Rukh, Rinku, KKR and RCB.
Out comes tens of thousands of mobile torch lights, a familiar sight at the Eden but one usually reserved for the end of a match.
Scenes that blended all things IPL played out on the opening night of its 18th edition — glamour, entertainment, top-quality cricket, fierce rivalry, heart-warming camaraderie and an ultimate people-pleaser.
Calcutta was so overcast in the morning that few would have expected a full match. That did not dampen the spirits, though.
The opening ceremony was slated for a 6.30pm start. By 3.30pm, the roads leading to the stadium were bustling. Around 4.30pm, when the gates opened, snaking queues had taken shape outside.
The frenzy was not lost on the original Little Master. “When we arrived at 4pm, there was a huge crowd already (in the stadium),” Sunil Gavaskar said on the air.
One of the early birds was Tina Bhowmik Saha, 32, a homemaker who came from Nadia with her husband and 11-year-old son.
“We were almost certain that it would rain but took a chance,” said Tina, who had been tracking weather forecasts since morning. The family drove from Nadia, over 100km away.
For her, the match was not just about cricket. “Besides KKR, it’s Shah Rukh Khan. It’s not my first time at Eden Gardens, but the first time I will see SRK here,” she said.
The charm of the IPL is not confined to India, or cricket-playing nations.
For Martin Rolfs, a 37-year-old from Aurich, Germany, the match was a dream come true. Rolfs arrived in India on a business trip but couldn’t resist the opportunity to experience IPL first-hand.
“I have many Indian colleagues who have told me about cricket and how amazing the game is. I have been watching cricket and cheering for India for the past couple of years,” he said.
“Ever since I have known about cricket and IPL, I always wanted to watch a match. My favourite team is KKR. What I love most about this team is its vibrant colour and its owner—the Badshah,” he said.
Pritha Banerjee, a 40-year-old human resource professional, was at the stadium with a group of friends.
“It is that time of the year again. In a way, we have all grown up with IPL. I still can’t believe it turned 18. I love this cocktail of cricket and entertainment,” said the Salt Lake resident.
The Kohli fandom out- shouted the home team supporters more than once.
A Kohli fan club, representing his admirers from various parts of Bengal, had brought a 50ft-wide banner with “King Kohli’s Army Form The Heart Of West Bengal” written on it.
One of the members was Bikram Das, 27, who works at a telecommunication company in Sector V. “It is that time of the year when we all come together to celebrate,” Bikram said.
The group has fans from Darjeeling, Nadia, Jalpaiguri and many other places. They chanted “Kolkata to Bangalore, once King, once more”.
Amit Das, who sold headbands, team shirts and caps near the stadium, said: “The demand for Kohli shirts is more than that of any KKR player.”