New Delhi: In the scorching hours leading up to Monday's clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals, several parallel matches were already underway outside Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Haggling customers squared off against lemon soda vendors, others spiritedly bargained with e-rickshaw drivers who demanded a fortune for what is otherwise a walkable distance from the Metro station, while a few determined fans were seen dragging their reluctant relatives in a 42-degree-Celsius test of loyalty for Virat Kohli.
"My eagerness to watch Virat in action is why I don't feel the heat," gushed 25-year-old Kriti, an actuarial professional from west Delhi, as she stood among a sea of RCB fans.
Rows of jerseys sold along the street, however, came with a peculiar pitch — one less about team loyalty and more about comfort, with vendors confidently claiming they would keep the heat at bay.
Mayuri Pandey, a homemaker from Bhajanpura, clutched an ice cream in one hand and the finger of her 2-year-old son, Ashwini, in the other, carefully navigating through the crowd outside the stadium. She called her son, sporting a tiny Kohli jersey and an oversized cap, "Chhota Virat".
Vithika Kaul (28), a tax professional, and advertising expert Priyam Nankani, also 28, rode in from Gurgaon on a two-wheeler, braving the heat. The duo ordered their jerseys a week in advance and prescheduled a cap delivery for Monday morning. "Armed with wet wipes and a lot of determination, we've just powered through," Nankani said, pausing for a sip of sugarcane juice.
Others battling the merciless sun were driven by their families' love for Kohli. Rahul Rana (43) and Sumit Malik (42), friends from Ghaziabad, made the trip with their sons, Aadvik Rana (12) and Ranveer Malik (13), both devoted Kohli fans. Rahul said, "I have previously attended RCB matches in Bengaluru, Nagpur, Chennai and Cuttack. This is our first time in Delhi — close to home — so we thought, why not?"
It was almost 5 pm, yet the heat outside and inside the stadium felt relentless. For the crowd, which grew thicker every minute, its match against the wrangling vendors and the brutal weather had already been played and resoundingly won. Fittingly, the real game on the pitch was as one-sided.
