THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After a three-year hiatus, Thiruvananthapuram played host to an ODI match on Sunday, and the fans was over the moon.
That the Greenfield Stadium at Kariavattom made it to the BCCI’s international schedule for the season was reason enough for the excitement, the icing on the cake was something else: the line-up featured both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the modern-day icons of Indian cricket.
Seeing them in action together is a sight that no hardcore cricket fan would ever want to miss. And for good measure, the Men in Blue scripted an easy win to take a 1-0 lead against the West Indies.
Though the craze was evident from over a week ago, the frenzy reached its peak on Sunday. A massive cutout of Rohit erected before the stadium became a major low-angle selfie spot for spectators. People poured in from Tamil Nadu and even Andhra Pradesh to watch ‘the Ro-Ko show’, painting the capital city in blue.
Ramesh Krishna, a techie, said his dream of seeing the two masters in action live finally materialised. “Thanks to Thiruvananthapuram, I had the fortune of witnessing them in the thick of action.The feeling that I was present here when the duo graced the ground in my home city will forever remain warm in my heart.”
Overjoyed to see two of her favourite stars — Kohli and Shubman Gill — scoring centuries, Sudharshana J called the day “nothing less than unbelievable”. As the hosts completed the formalities of an eight-wicket win, the crowd erupted in joy, with some even turning emotional for having watched a “match of their lifetime”.