As night falls, floodlights beam on astro turfs or levelled artificial grass turfs across Chennai where working professionals play night football. With some sporting arenas open as late as 2am, for these nightcrawlers, playing the game is like being in touch with their inner child that fell in love with the sport years ago.
Ankur Das, Inspector of General Tax, moved to Chennai in the spring of 2023. Shortly after, he lost his father. Coping with grief and the rhythms of a new city, Ankur and his roommate Balaji Sukkala, a GST officer, would sit on their terrace framed against the indifference of the cityscape at night.
