Rambo rules

Ranchi, March 12: Hours before the curtains went up on the cricket razzmatazz in the Caribbean shores, the mercury’s soaring high in the state capital, too, with local lad and Team India keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni all set to take guard for his World Cup debut.

Walk down the main road, or even take a peep into the shop nearby — you can’t miss Dhoni’s glances from the large hoardings, LCD screens, posters, jerseys and even the willow.

The fever’s caught on with the students of the International Institute of Fashion Technology (IIFT), who got into the groove today with a face painting competition on the theme, well, no prizes for guessing this...World Cup.

After all, the Blues rule.

And if the boy’s out on a Caribbean conquest, can the couch cheer groups be far behind? Dhoni’s neighbours, at E Block of the Mecon Colony, along with the students and teachers of DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, from where Dhoni did his schooling, are leading the pack of enthusiasts all geared up to cheer Mahi, as he’s lovingly called, set the park on fire.

Students of DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, have signed a good luck card, which they delivered to the Ranchi Rambo personally, when he visited the city earlier.

Even city streets and walls of educational institutes have not been spared of the merry posters and banners.

Father Pan Singh, however, remains a cool customer tending after a different league of greens.

Away from the hullabaloo, Singh preferred to nurture his garden with the same fervour as his son his Cup dreams. “I cannot predict anything. It’s not only my son, but there are other players in the team, too, and the team’s performance will bank on them as well,” daddy supercool told The Telegraph.

Dhoni’s neighbours, though, were more eloquent.

Manju Khandelwal, an elderly neighbour staying right opposite to Dhoni’s house, was all praises.

“He is a devoted player and we are 100 per cent sure of a solid performance from him. Whenever he is here he talks to everyone. He is a cordial and a polite boy. My photographs with him are my proud possessions. He has not changed a bit and greets everyone very warmly,” she said, before adding, “We have not planned anything specific for the Cup but we will be watching the telecasts.”

“Throughout his school life he was a strong sportsperson. In Class VI, he was a goal-keeper in the school soccer team. Is ledke ko chota se dekha hain and now he is playing for the World Cup. It’s a matter of great pride,” said Keshav Ranjan Banerjee, the sports teacher at DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir.

Vice-principal of DAV, Choubey is also a proud teacher.

“It’s a matter of great pride that he is playing for Team India. I have a Team India player as my neighbour,” he adds with a smile.

Other residents, too, are leaving no stone unturned to make the tourney Dhoni’s Cup of joy.

Paramjit Singh, the owner of Prime Sports (a shop) has a stock of bat called Dhoni-148, launched by Best All Sports concern.

“We also have team jerseys which cost Rs 200. Dhoni’s lucky number is seven and we are sure that it would make him a star in this World Cup,” Singh said.