The second season of the Indian Super League (ISL) is all set to kick off, and if there are any doubts whether ISL-2 can see jam packed stadiums, then think again. Ahead of the opening encounter between Chennaiyin FC and Atletico de Kolkata, all the tickets have been sold out and major parts of Chennai are in a party mood, ready to support their team throughout the tournament.
"All the tickets are sold out. Lots of celebrities like Aishwarya Rai, Alia Bhatt, AR Rahman and many others will be performing tonight [Saturday], so for sure it will be a party atmosphere," a member of the organising team told IBNLive.
The new season has created an air of excitement in Chennai - a city that is considered passionate about sports and the teams it supports. Whether it's the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) from the Indian Premier League (IPL) or Chennaiyin FC from the ISL - fans have never let their teams down and always came out to support them, especially in home games.
The South Indian metro city of India already has a strong connection with cricket through the IPL club CSK that has seen unprecedented success in Twenty20 cricket. And with football joining in last season, the city's sports connect is getting much stronger.
Chennaiyin play their home games at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which the fans have re-christened as the Marina Arena. It has a capacity of nearly 40,000 and we saw last year that it was packed to the rafters match after match.
CSK, though, have been suspended on charges of corruption by its administrators, but the tone of the fans suggests cricket will remain their first love, though they will support any sport that has connection with Chennai - be it cricket or football, and the locals here are looking forward to the ISL season.
"I am a big fan of [Mahendra Singh] Dhoni. It doesn't matter it is Chennai Super Kings or Chennaiyin FC, Dhoni is in both teams. I will cheer for him and Chennaiyin FC too. He is the captain of CSK and the co owner of Chennaiyin FC. I am really excited. I wish if I can at least say a 'Hello' to my all-time favourite cricket star. I will definitely go to watch ISL and cheer for Chennaiyin FC. Hope to see Chennaiyin win the ISL 2015 season," a fan named Bijoy Needhesh said.
Another fan was also excited about the ISL, but remained a cricket fan first. "I am a big fan of Dhoni and CSK, and will always remain a cricket fan . But ISL has turned into a big hit here, and our team Chennaiyin is doing well. People are appreciating as they can relate to it. Although cricket is first love, now interest is developing towards football as well. Thanks to ISL and Chennaiyin FC," he said.
One reason Chennaiyin FC had a brilliant season was due to their fans who came out in large numbers to support their team. People in Chennai, just like their movies, are madly in love with sports too. They have been lucky because their teams, both in IPL and the ISL, have come out with brilliant performances that has lead to more fan-following for the Chennai teams.
Dhoni has a star status in Chennai, and India's limited-overs skipper has also said that Chennai is like his second home. Dhoni signed a deal last year to become a co-owner of Chennaiyin FC along with Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, and that fueled the fans' interest in football and ISL.
Dhoni is known to be big football lover and was a goalkeeper for his school team before shifting to cricket. Now that the chances of CSK playing in IPL for the next two years look slim, both cricket and football lovers have a good reason to come out in numbers to cheer for Chennaiyin FC.
The beautiful game has well and truly taken Chennai by storm. While many are worried about CSK's future in the IPL, for fans of football in Chennai, the love affair with Chennayin FC has just begun and this fever is here to stay.
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