Mumbai, April 10: Call it the after-effects of India’s glorious World Cup triumph last Saturday or some other reasons, but the usual buzz was missing when IPL debutants Pune Warriors took on Kings XI Punjab at the D Y Patil Stadium at Navi Mumbai tonight.
The stadium, which can accommodate 50,000 people, was less than half the capacity when the game commenced, a far cry from the inaugural match held here in 2008 when it was packed to the full.
The crowd was then treated a thrilling game by Australian great Adam Gilchrist who got a hundred by showing his clean hitting prowess for Deccan Chargers against Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians.
The top-class venue with excellent amenities for the public has held two IPL finals, in 2008 and 2010, when Lalit Modi was calling the shots as the chairman of the cash-rich Twenty20 League.
-Agencies