As the Indian team has set itself up for an epic finale in the cricket World Cup on Sunday, November 19, fans in Bengaluru, like the rest of the country, are gearing up to catch the men in blue in action in style. Having swept through all games with victories in this edition of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, India will play Australia in the finale.
Many are planning to flock to community screenings across the city to cheer on Team India’s return to the World Cup final after over a decade. Pubs and sports bars are expecting a significant crowd on Sunday.
Pubs, restaurants gear up
Social on Church Street, which has gotten around 90 reservations for the screening of the final match, has come up with a specially curated menu for the World Cup, namely “Stadi-YUM”, and those who order from there will have specially arranged spin-the-wheel games, cricket VR games as well as pop quizzes surrounding the World Cup.
Allister Braganza, Senior Regional Business Manager, Socials, said, “Generally, Sundays are anyway full, but now we’ll host at least 150 extra people at all our branches. We have a special World Cup menu of 10-12 dishes and special beer. Most people have booked tables of 6-8, and everyone seems to be looking forward to experience this moment with their groups. It’s going to be fun.”
SkyDeck by Sherlock’s, located on M.G. Road, is also expecting a large crowd on Sunday. . “Reservations have already started for the weekend, I am overwhelmed because I am looking forward to seeing India possibly win for the third time,” said Mohinder Poojari, manager of Skydeck. He said that there are two LED walls installed in the pub specially for the World Cup screenings.
Arbour Brewing Company, which is screening the World Cup finale, also has a specially curated menu for the World Cup matches. The menu includes food items that are coherent with the cuisines of the teams that have been playing each day. Srishti Chargir, the marketing associate of the pub, said that as the teams compete, so do the dishes presented in their menu.
Prafulla Rayappagari, who runs Deck of Brews, off Marathahalli ring road, said, “We’re expecting 300-400 people. We want to keep the hype going, so we’ve organised face painting, giveaways, and a quiz. When everyone stops everything they’re doing— the waiters, customers, everyone— and stand in solidarity, it’s very wholesome to witness.”
Other than pubs and restaurants around Bengaluru, apartment complexes are organising community screenings for the World Cup finale. The Clubhouse at the Karnataka State Cricket Association will also be screening the match live. Almas Parveen, a resident of an apartment in Electronics City, said, “We’ve all pooled in money for a projector and to set up food stalls. We’ve been watching all the matches together and we’re really excited especially to watch the final.”
Rajeev Banduni, a Jakkur resident, said, “Cricket is a religion in India. It binds everyone together. It’s good fun watching it; we’ll all be watching it together at the clubhouse. The excitement is bigger with the community. We as Indians hold a lot of our emotions onto the sport and on the team, so this year, since we’re in the finals it’ll be incredibly exciting, emotional and a moment of celebration.”
Others are happy to witness the moment in the comfort of their homes. Mohammed Suhail, resident of Indiranagar, said, “For the first time in 12 years, we’ve reached a point where India can finish with no loss. I have all my friends coming home to watch the match. I remember the last time India played Australia during the finals, I was in the 8th grade. They lost badly, I had tears in my eyes. I have full hopes that they’ll redeem themselves this time.”
