Ahmedabad: The cricket-crazy India will come to a virtual standstill when its cricket team led by Rohit Sharma will take on five-time champion Australia in ICC World Cup 2023 final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The match will start at 2 pm and there will be an exciting closing ceremony taking place throughout the day, beginning at 12.30 pm with an Air Show by Indian Airforce.
With cricket fever sweeping the nation, the excitement is palpable even in Odisha. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took to his X handle and wrote: “Wish the Indian Men’s Cricket Team all the best for the final clash of #CWC23 against Australia in Ahmedabad. May the team continue its unbeaten run and lift the World Cup for the third time. #INDvsAUSfinal”.
Artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has created a colossal 56-foot-long World Cup Trophy, using around 500 steel bowls and 300 cricket balls, on Puri beach, with a message ‘Good Luck Team India’. He took about 6 hours to complete this sculpture.
Jagannath Sena also offered prayers near Lord Jagannath in Puri for Team India’s victory in the final.
The craze for cricket also has a Virat Kohli fan, Pintu Behera from Odisha’s Berhampur, tattooed the star batter’s face and him bowing before Sachin Tendulkar on his torso and Virat’s jersey number 18 and some important milestones of his life on the back. He is now in Ahmedabad to cheer Virat and Team India.
Similarly, Nikas Kanha of Phulbani, travels to several places to cheer the Indian cricket team and his idol, Virat, with his face and body painted with images of the batsman and the national flag.
To make the most of the high-stake event, hotels, restaurants, bars and clubs in the state, including Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, have put up big LED screens and are dishing out special menus, complementary dishes and drinks and special discounts to cricket enthusiasts alongside the match and for post-match celebrations. Hotel staff can also be seen wearing Team India jerseys.
