A retired insurance professional from London, an IT worker based in Germany, and an advocate from Serampore were among those at the Maidan on Friday collecting tickets for Saturday’s T20 World Cup match between England and Scotland.
Ticket demand for the Eden Gardens games had been subdued so far, but queues at the Mohammedan Sporting Club tent suggested excitement was returning.
“We opened the counters at 11am. Many had lined up before that,” said a man at one of the counters.
Drian Masson, 67, the retired man from London, said Saturday’s match would be his debut at Eden. “This is the first time I will be watching a live match at Eden. I will be cheering for England. I feel England should win tomorrow after losing to West Indies on Wednesday,” he said.
Masson has a special connection with the city: “My father was born in Calcutta. My mother hails from Bihar. They grew up in colonial India and went to England in 1956, three years before I was born.”
Masson last watched a live match at a stadium 15 years ago. “I saw England play Sri Lanka at the Oval in London, and after all these years, I will be watching a live match again,” he said.
Advocate Surajit Saha, 45, came from Serampore with his 11-year-old daughter. He expects a close contest: “Scotland beat Italy, and West Indies beat England. Both teams will play for survival in the league, so it will be very interesting.” He added that Eden “always carries a special charm”.
Debojyoti Ghosh, 26, was looking for a ticket “from where the cricket can be followed properly.” “I am looking for a seat at the G1 stand,” he said, adding he would watch the game with a colleague.
Brothers Sabyasachi and Sirshendu Sengupta, both IT professionals, will also be at Eden. Sabyasachi works in Hyderabad, and Sirshendu in Germany. “We have watched several matches at Eden before, but this is the first time with my brother,” said Sabyasachi. Sirshendu will return to the stadium after three decades. “The last time I watched a match at Eden was a Test series between India and South Africa,” he said.
