 "Cricket-themed drinks to dishes: Chennai gears up to host IPL final")
It seems all roads lead to Chennai, as the MA Chidambaram Stadium prepares to host the Indian Premier League final on Sunday (May 26). The city is playing a perfect host, with hotels offering cricket-themed drinks and dishes.
Airfares to the city have almost doubled, and hotel bookings have increased by 15 per cent.
The final is set to take place between the table toppers Kolkata Knight Riders and the winner of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) vs Rajasthan Royals (RR) IPL Qualifier 2 match on Friday.
“There has been a 15 per cent increase in flight and hotel bookings week-on-week for Chennai for the Sunday final. Travel demand for IPL this year has been the highest. Despite the higher airfares during peak summer season, the majority of the travellers are booking tickets last minute, 0-3 days in advance,” said an industry expert.
Local hotels too indicated a surge in demand.
Interestingly, data by travel platform Ixigo shows non-stop flights from New Delhi-Chennai for this weekend are averaging Rs 18,000-20,000 for a one-way ticket as compared to Rs 7000 on any other day.
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But for fans, it’s worth it.
Under floodlights at MA Chidambaram Stadium, they are expected to witness electrifying moments.
According to a BCCI source, preparations are going on war footing, like last year.
Restaurants in the city too are gearing up for the mega event through special dishes and live screening. The Willows Lounge Bar and The Westin Chennai in Velachery is coming up with a special cocktail named KKR Blues -- a mix of mango juice, blue pea tea, lime juice and honey.
“The Willows Lounge Bar is introducing IPL-themed drinks as vibrant as the game and the live screening in the bar, already designed sports-themed, keeps the energy alive. It’s the perfect spot to paint the town yellow and cheer for your team,” said Nitesh Dubey, Assistant Manager, Food and Beverage, at The Westin Chennai Velachery
“The last time Chennai hosted an IPL final was back in 2012, which was also when KKR won their first ever IPL title beating the home team at their fortress. As the cricket-crazy Chennai crowd braces to experience a pulsating contest in the grandest showdown in franchise cricket after 12 years, the charged up KKR fans are awaiting the arrival of their opponent at the Chidambaram Stadium,” said Siddharth Raman, chief executive officer, Sportz Interactive, a sports digital agency.
But a directive by IPL organisers to hotels is playing spoilsport this time. 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.
“All preparations are muted this time. There are no major events at hotels and we have asked our members to follow the directive,” said Sundar Singaram, director of operations, South Indian Hotels and Restaurants Association.