DUBAI// As the cricket action moved down the E11 motorway from the capital to Dubai this weekend, fans in the emirate turned out in force to cheer their favourite teams.
One enthusiastic group of 65 – staff and their families from a multinational company in Jebel Ali – planned their outing to catch the double header Royal Challengers Bangalore aginst Mumbai Indians and Kolkota Knight Riders versus the Delhi Daredevils on Saturday.
“We were waiting for the dates of the games to be announced,” said Roshan Anchan, a business processing expert.
“As soon as they were announced, we bought the tickets online. None of us have watched the IPL games live and we thought this would be an opportunity,” said Mr Anchan, who was accompanied by eight family members, including his 62-year-old mother-in-law.
The UAE is hosting the first phase of the seventh IPL, one of the world’s richest sporting leagues. Twenty matches will be played over two weeks across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
Mr Anchan said a plan to attend the games had been formulated a few weeks ago over a tea break at work.
“A few of us were discussing how the IPL was being played here and we were talking about who was going. Before we knew, it snowballed into a group outing,” Mr Anchan said.
To add to the excitement, the group planned to wear matching T-shirts, masks and wigs.
“It feels fantastic to go with a big crowd. Everyone is excited.”
Cricket fever is not confined to UAE residents. Some fans have travelled from Bahrain to watch the games, including Alagu Mayilvahanan, who works for an aluminium company.
“I have seen matches live in India,” said Mr Mayilvahanan, an Indian expatriate, who arrived in Dubai on Friday with six of his colleagues to catch all the action on Saturday.
“But I have not seen one since I moved to Bahrain in 2008. Most of my friends also moved to Bahrain at the same time and we thought it would be a fun outing.
“We booked the tickets online on the first day of them going on sale.”
Mr Mayilvahanan and his friends will each spend Dh2,500 on their stay and travel, including Dh25 for match tickets.
With at least seven matches being played in Dubai, the emirate’s transport agency said it was prepared to deal with increased demand for taxis and buses.
“Taxis will make about 1,000 trips from the Dubai Cricket Stadium,” said Adel Shakri, director of transportation systems at the Roads and Transport Authority.
“We have also invited limousine taxis to pick up people. Usually, limousine taxis can only pick up passengers from hotels but this is a special case, we have allowed them to take passengers from the stadium.”
He said his agency was confident about meeting the demand.
“If we need more taxis, they can be deployed. But based on our experience most people use different modes of transport and come in their own cars or share with friends.
“We have handled big events like Eid, when a million people are at the same place at the same time.
“We don’t think this is as big an event. We can handle the demand.”
pkannan@thenational.ae
