IPL 2013 - Crazy Cricket in Kolkata

♫♫Korbo lorbo jeetbo re…

Korbo lorbo re… Jeethbo re… Jeethbo re

We’re too hot, too hot.

We’re too cool, too cool.

Aami Kolkata… WE RULE! ♫♫

Tagore’s city has a new anthem to hum these days. It’s the IPL season of course and Kolkata is splashed with the colours of purple and gold, (and if Kolkata Knight Riders win this season again, wait till the city showers gold!). For a non-cricket fan such as me, the entire affair of catching a match live wasn’t such an exhilarating thought, but surrounded by a bunch of cricket frenzy friends, did I really have a choice! Hence, this time around my trip to Kolkata wasn’t all about revisiting my childhood memories in the city. Starting with the IPL 2013 opening ceremony and the KKR vs DD match that followed the next day, the adrenaline rush never seemed to go down. And oh, those moments when I caught glimpses of Shahrukh Khan at the Eden Gardens…were to die for! Bret Lee, Gautam Gambhir and Brendon McCullum were treats for the eyes too and important assets for the match, off course… ahem!

Ekla Cholo Re…

When I was not ogling at the cricket hotties and Bollywood’s crème de la crème, I went on a date with my long-lost love, the City of Joy, Kolkata. Thankfully Eden Gardens is centrally located and most of the city’s attractions are well within the radius of 10-20 kilometres, the nearest being Victoria Memorial and Howrah Bridge. My next halt was at Kalighat (7.5 kilometres from the stadium), where I paid my reverence to the Goddess of Shakti and to my surprise, saw a lot of IPL fans praying for their team’s luck. Don’t get surprised, I also happened to bump into some hard core IPL fans at Belur Math and Dakshineshwar too (10 and 14 kilometres from Eden Gardens respectively).

When in Kolkata, could I resist the gamut of gourmet delights, especially when Park Street and Ballygunge are approximately 5 kilometres away from the stadium? So I went straight to Peiping Restaurant in Park Street, among the oldest and most trusted Chinese diners. Chinoserie and Red Hot Chilli Pepper are other popular Chinese restaurants that I plan to visit during the next IPL match in Kolkata.  Also the list includes Marcopolo and La Terrasse for multi-cuisine delicacies, and Oh! Calcutta and 6 Ballygunge Place for lip-smacking Bengali decadence.

Aaj Ki Raat…

After all the hullaballoo in the stadium, my cricket crazy friends decided to join me to celebrate the grand victory of Kolkata Knight Riders against Delhi Daredevils. Kolkata has a hedonistic nightlife. Be it during Durga Puja, Christmas or IPL season, the City of Joy surely knows how to express itself. From the wide arrays of bars and pubs in the city, we chose to go to Someplace Else that has an old school pub ambiance with city’s best live bands. Tantra, Shisha, Aqua and Olympia are some of the other popular pubs that we decided to save for our next trip. These pubs are great spots to catch the match for those who could not see the mayhem live.

After a day full of excitement, travel, food and fun, all I wanted to do was to get back to the hotel and crash. Thanks to MakeMyTrip, I managed to get great flight plus hotel deals, that too at the last minute! The Oberoi Grand and Taj Bengal are the top notch hotels in Kolkata that are also very close to Eden Gardens. Tulip Inn and Lindsay are comfortable budget hotels in Park Street.

Dil Jumping Japang Jampak Jampak…

Well, I have booked my hotels and flights for the next match in Kolkata to be held on April 14^th. Have you? It’s Kolkata Knight Riders versus SunRisers Hyderabad after all! I can’t just wait to see two of my favourite teams battle against each other. Since the stadium is going to be a full house, make sure you make your way there at least 2-3 hours before the match commences. The way from the airport is easy enough.

So, as they say it in IPL this season, sirf dekhne ka nahi… Get up and jampak jampak. See you dancing, roaring and cheering your team…at the Edens!