Over 10,000 fans thronged the stadia which saw Hyderabad Heroes clash with Chennai Superstars

Cheer girls danced to popular Bollywood numbers at the fall of a wicket or a boundary

Entertainment unlimited: Bollywood actress Amisha Patel performing at the Indian Cricket League Edelweiss 20s Challenge championship at Lal Bahadur Stadium on Saturday.

Hyderabad: It was a glamorous start to the Indian Cricket League Edelweiss 20s Challenge championship at the floodlit Lal Bahadur Stadium when Hyderabad Heroes and Chennai Superstars clashed in the first match of the League in the city.

A touch of glamour

And, when the organisers ensured that Bollywood actress Amisha Patel performed to the famous number from Mughle-e-Azam – pyar kiya to darna kya – it was perhaps symbolic of the cricket-crazy fans of Hyderabad, as more than 10,000 thronged the venue, to express their romance with the sport.

For them what mattered was their favourite cricketers in action. Not whether it was the Indian Cricket League or the official competition. Be it the South Africans Justin Kemp, Nicky Boje, Kiwi Chris Harris or Pakistan’s Abdur Razzaq, Shabbir Ahmed. They could not have hoped for a more perfect ambience to ensure a thoroughly enjoyable outing there in the lights.

The lush green outfield, the colourful presence of cheer girls, dancing to the tunes of popular numbers every time a boundary was hit or a wicket taken, ensured that the Hyderabadis were in for some pleasant surprises.

The true cricket fan too enjoyed when the local spinner Inder Sekhar Reddy saw the umpire refer to the third umpire for an lbw verdict against Ian Harvey.

A rarity in this part of the world and the roar of appreciation when the judgement was out was a big sign of approval of the usage of technology to avoid controversies.

The hosts could not have expected a more popular start as some of the stands were near full contrary to the general pre-match perception.

Certainly, the Hyderabadis passion for cricket was there for everyone to feel.

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