Chennai in wait-and-watch mode: Will CSK paint the town yellow on Saturday?

A lot will depend on the home team playing the finals; the city is preparing in anticipation

Come Saturday, hundreds and thousands of Chennai’s 6.6 million people, and millions of fans outside the city, will be rooting for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as they clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). If CSK wins, it will move a step closer to the final of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). In which case, expect Chennai to be painted yellow.

Though the final showdown at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on May 26 is still over 10 days away, hotels have started preparing in anticipation. The plans include special cuisines named for the teams playing the finals and cricket-themed buffets.

Says Abdul Kather, associate director of Food and Beverage, Feathers – A Radha Hotel: “With live screenings of the match, specially curated food and beverage offerings, and a vibrant cricket-themed ambiance, we aim to create an electrifying atmosphere at Vapor Lounge Bar where guests can immerse themselves in the excitement of the game.”

At Turyaa Hotels near Old Mahabalipuram road, an exclusive liquid buffet “tailor-made for IPL enthusiasts”, and live cricket action is planned at the rooftop as part of a Rs 3,000 per person package, says its general manager, Krishan Kodippili.

A centrally located five-star hotel is also expected to organise a match screening at its bar while serving dishes themed around the gentleman’s game.

 

The Spotted Deer Gastropub at The Palomar by Crossway, a luxury boutique hotel on East Coast Road, is also pulling out all the stops. On the platter are live screenings of the T20 Eliminators, Qualifiers and “the all-important final”, along with dishes and cricketer-themed cocktails such as Captain Cool and Jaddu’s Sword, says Hasnain Abbas, managing director of the hotel.

A directive from the IPL organisers could, however, stymie these plans. 

The directive prohibits marketing or hospitality promotions, contests, advertising, fantasy games or any other commercial activity that use IPL names, marks and proprietary content. This includes screening the matches or any part of a match, and conducting hospitality promotions around the screening. It also prohibits the use of IPL tickets as prizes.

“We were contacted by the [IPL] team and asked not to use any of the IPL marks by any of the restaurants,” says Sundar Singaram, director of operations, South Indian Hotels and Restaurants Association.

“It is incumbent upon the IPL to protect this exclusivity and thereby its official broadcasters, commercial partners and licensees,” the directive reads. 

Tata, Angel One, RuPay, Ceat, My11Circle, Star Sports and JioCinema are currently the exclusive sponsors and partners of Tata IPL.

Hot ticket

For Chennai, a lot is riding on CSK playing in the finals.

“It is going to be mania if CSK enters the final as the city will then be able to witness M S Dhoni [in action] one more time,” says P Madhavan, executive vice president-Sales and Marketing, TVS Srichakra, which owns Eurogrip Tyres, the principal sponsor of CSK. “It is going to be the biggest carnival, and more eyeballs will definitely lift our brand.” 

CSK in the finals would also mean that the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which has a capacity of 38,200, would likely be dominated by local fans. 

IPL matches at the venue, which is also called Chepauk Stadium, are usually priced at Rs 7,500 for marquee events and Rs 6,000 for non-marquee ones. 

“Depending on whether CSK qualifies for the match, the ticket price can rise up to 75 per cent in the free market," says Kartik Kannan, co-founder at 12th Man Army, a cricket fan club. 

Kannan had bought a ticket for the RCB versus CSK match, to be held in Bengaluru on Saturday, for 4,840. He says people are now willing to pay four times that for the high-intensity match. 

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Decisive match

Meanwhile, hotel and flight rates are stable for now. There is, however, an uptick in the interest to travel to Chennai.

“We have observed 46 per cent more searches for Chennai for check-ins on May 25 or 26 this year compared to the same timeframe last year,” says a spokesperson for hotel booking platform Agoda.

While hotel tariffs have remained stable for now, “we foresee possible changes post the announcement of competing teams in the final match,” says Bharatt Malik, senior vice-president, air and hotel business, Yatra Online. 

“With the IPL finals approaching on May 26, there has been a noticeable increase in airfare for travel to Chennai on May 25 and 26, marking a 5-7 per cent uptick,” he adds.

According to travel platform Ixigo, the average one-way airfare to Chennai from cities such as Delhi, Kochi, Bengaluru, among others, have increased in the range of 10 to 45 per cent during the IPL final weekend (May 24-26) when compared to prices over a month ago.  

Airfares from Delhi have marked a 20.7 per cent increase to Rs 9,391 from Rs 7,776 during the same time. The average one-way airfare to Chennai from Pune has increased 45.3 per cent to Rs 8,791. 

Interestingly, airfares from Kolkata and Mumbai have witnessed a decline during the same period. From Mumbai, the airfares have slipped marginally to Rs 5,180 from Rs 5,262. And airfares from Kolkata to Chennai have recorded a 15 per cent decrease to Rs 5,924 from Rs 6,995. These cities represent IPL teams such as Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians, respectively, with the former topping the charts this IPL season. 

In November last year, when India hosted the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, airfares had shot up as fans descended on Ahmedabad to watch the final match between India and Australia. So far, IPL is yet to witness a fan frenzy of that kind. 

“Airfares are all regulated and regular right now. No surge in the fares, or even in hotel tariffs, is seen as of now,” says Jay Bhatia, board member, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH).

The flight demand, he explains, will depend on the IPL semi-finalists and finalists.

“People take a call on bookings depending on the finals and semi-finals,” he says. “Moreover, as compared to the World Cup, where there is increased traffic of international players and their entourage, the IPL usually sees the movement of domestic spectators, keeping the demand intact.”