Cricket's return to Eden Gardens is more than just a game

Mid-March 2020. That’s when the third and final ODI of the scheduled series was to be played at the Eden Gardens between India and South Africa. International white-ball cricket is rare these days with the rotation cycle and the city was all geared up for the spectacle. It was a curtain raiser of sorts before IPL took over. That’s when Covid wreaked havoc in our lives.

The world had not yet come to terms with the virus and vaccines and therapeutics were a fair distance away. Closure or lockdowns were the only solution and on the evening of March 11, it was made known that the game had been called off as a precautionary measure. The IPL too was postponed too and Kolkata was soon in the throes of the virus.

International cricket's return to Eden Gardens

Finally, international cricket is coming back to Kolkata and, may I say, Eden Gardens is all decked up. A trip to one of the best cricket stadiums in the world and you come across happy and vibrant faces.

Though most are still behind masks, double vaccinations and reduced virulence of the virus have given people hope. Fans have started to queue up for tickets and all tickets made available to the public were sold out in no time.

More than the result it is the occasion that matters. That people are getting their lives back is the notion. CAB officials are working round the clock to make sure things are in place. They have the additional responsibility of ensuring Covid protocols are followed by most present on Sunday.

It is a very different feeling as one goes into Eden Gardens after months of staying away. In May 2021, it had been converted into a Covid facility with healthcare workers making the stadium home.

Sport had taken a backseat and it all appeared dark and gloomy. Finally, the veil is being lifted. As Rohit Sharma and his team take centerstage, it will be a sign of things to come. That there is light at the end of the tunnel. That there is a world beyond Covid and the return of sport marks the start of the new normal.

With India closing out the series in Ranchi, fans will enjoy a night out without having to worry about the result. A night that is also a reminder of the past we were all in love with. And a reminder that science and humanity eventually win. Can’t wait to take my seat in the club house as the umpires call play.