Rahul Giri at Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Any fans present at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on October 31 for the Bangladesh-Pakistan World Cup match could have easily compared the atmosphere to what they usually experience during the Kolkata Knight Riders’ home games in the IPL.
While attendance was notably sparse for some of the non-India matches earlier in the tournament, there was a raucous atmosphere at Eden Gardens for the Bangladesh-Pakistan game. I was there in the stands, and what stunned me was the enthusiasm of the Bangladeshi supporters, who remained energetic throughout the entire game. More than 25,000 fans had travelled from Bangladesh just to witness their team’s clash against Pakistan, even though chances of qualifying for the knockouts were already almost extinguished.
After Bangladesh’s innings, we had the opportunity to meet a passionate fan base, including 76 supporters who graduated from the same school as one of Bangladesh’s star batsman, Mohammad Mahmudullah. “We are here to support Mahmudullah Riyad,” Arif Chowdhury, who is five years senior to the player. “Last night we met him at the hotel, and we are glad that Mahmudullah produced a gritty knock in today’s game.”
But what had brought so many fans to Kolkata despite Bangladesh’s disappointing performances and almost no hope of progressing to the last four? “Cricket means everything to us in Bangladesh,” replied Chowdhury and his friends. “It is cricket that has made us popular on the world stage after our independence, so it doesn’t matter whether our team loses or wins. We are always there to cheer our hearts out for them.
“Yes, our team hasn’t delivered as we expected, but we believe there are a lot of lessons and positives from this campaign. We are optimistic that the Bangladesh cricket team will undergo a revamp and make us proud with their performance in the near future.”
There were also interesting insights into the Bangladesh-Pakistan rivalry and what made it so special for them. Was it as intense as the India-Pakistan matches are for most Indians? “Since we gained independence from Pakistan, this rivalry runs in our blood, and that’s what laid the foundation for this intense rivalry,” said Chowdhury. “We cannot bear to see our team lose in this rivalry. We always want them to win so that we can hold our heads high.”
They had been preparing for this World Cup adventure for the last two months, and also witnessed Bangladesh playing Netherlands at Eden Gardens. “Eden Gardens is one of our favorite grounds, and it also reminds me of Sourav Ganguly, who has a large fan base in Bangladesh,” said Chowdhury. “The people of Kolkata and Indian fans also receive us in a great way.”
For someone from Bangladesh to come and watch a match in any city in India usually costs more than Rupees 100,000. “Bangladeshi fans can go to great lengths for their team,” said Chowdhury. “Even if Bangladesh plays in England or Australia, we don’t hesitate to go.’
On the night, Pakistan won at a canter. But though their cricketers have failed to live up to their expectations, the majority of Bangladesh fans remain patient and optimistic that they would overcome every hurdle and make their nation proud on the world stage. Pakistan left Eden Gardens with the two points, but it was the Bangladeshi fans, in their thousands, who won hearts with their sheer passion and unconditional support.