Cuttack: The auction for another fresh season of Indian Premier League (IPL) recently concluded while Odisha failed to break the jinx this time also as not a single player from the State was picked by eight teams participating in the mega tournament starting from April.
What is more disheartening for the fans that not a single match of IPL season 11 has been allotted to Barabati Stadium which was the home venue of Deccan Chargers in the past.
Besides, Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab had also adopted Barabati stadium as their home ground few years back. But this time, things have not gone in favour of the fans as they will now have to watch the matches live from their drawing rooms instead of the stadium at Barabati.
Despite all odds, fans across Odisha seem to be excited for the 11th edition of this cash-rich cricket league much like any other part of the country. We met a few cricket fans to find out the reason behind their love for IPL.
“We want a team from Odisha to participate in the tournament but it is still a dream as of now. Odisha Cricket Association should do something to nurture players who can become potential cricketers at the national and international stage. We will be happy to see players like Biplab Samantray and Natraj Behera besides others in IPL in next season,” said cricket fan Satyaranjan.
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“We love IPL matches which are full of excitement till the last ball. It would have been a proud moment if players from Odisha were playing in this season. However, Kings XI Punjab is my favourite team in IPL,” said Aniruddh.
Another cricket fan Uday expressed, “Despite no players from Odisha in the IPL, I love to watch IPL because of many foreign players in and due to nail biting matches.”
“We are really hopeful to see a team from the state playing IPL matches at Barabati Stadium soon. I support teams like Chennai Superkings and Mumbai Indians,” said Bhaktamadhu.
“Players from various countries play in one team as a complete unit and it is good to see the team spirit during matches,” said Niraj, a cricket lover from Cuttack.
Biplab Samantaray and Haladhar Das have played in the IPL before for the Hyderabad franchise and Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium has hosted a few home games of various IPL teams. The fans in Odisha are also upbeat and are hopeful that IPL matches would return to Barabati and they will be able to watch the players in action Live at stadium here in Cuttack.