National geographic

During his first season with KKR in 2011,Balaji’s diffidence ensured he spent his non match-days within his hotel room. The following season,though,things changed completely. By now,he had warmed up to Kolkata’s fervent yet earnest fans. The trams no longer seemed outlandish and the nights were spent relishing the many cuisines that Park Street’s got to offer. He’s also become a football fan these days. Most importantly,Balaji had discovered mishti doi among other Bengali sweets.

“I know I have to look after my diet. But I sneak in a couple at times. They are too tempting,” he says. While Kolkata had found a way through to Balaji’s heart via his sweet-tooth,others in the KKR camp have warmed up to their adopted home in their own way.

Rajat Bhatia for one prefers to take time away from the glitz and glamour,preferring to tap into his spiritual side by visiting the Dakshineswar Temple or taking a dip in the Ganges. For their former assistant coach,Vijay Dahiya,however,the deep-rooted culture and tradition of the city and the courteousness — women in general being referred to as didi — that struck a chord with the Delhi man.

The IPL has been credited for turning the cricket world into a much smaller sphere by bringing people and cultures together,sharing dressing-rooms and ideas. Some even say that it’s enhanced the camaraderie between players,turning once foes into fast friends. Prior to the IPL,embracing the culture and heritage of India was an exercise practiced mainly by overseas cricketers,an idea conceived by former Australian captain Steve Waugh.

Out of their comfort zone

With nine franchises spread around different corners of the country,however,a number of local players,like Balaji and Bhatia,too find themselves dislodged from their comfort zones. And as they set about settling into their second homes,they inadvertently end up embarking on their own discovery of India.

Fast bowler Siddarth Trivedi had been to Jaipur once on a family vacation in his school days. Being a history buff,he was fascinated by forts and the many epic war stories that are symbolic of Rajasthan. Little did he know then that he would get a chance to soak in the sights and relics that he had heard about all through his life.

“When the Royals first approached me,I was just over the moon considering that it was a double treat. This place has a tremendous history and folklore,” says Trivedi,the only uncapped Indian player to have been a part of the same franchise since IPL’s inception.

Among the many places of historical interest that he’s visited in and around Jaipur,he counts the Amer Fort as his favourite. It was here,explains Trivedi,that the Royals set upon their quest in the first season to upset the apple-cart despite their rag-tag billing.

“We had come here as a team and were deeply inspired after hearing stories about how Amer had remained an invincible citadel during its time. It is here that Shane Warne said that Jaipur will be our fortress,” recalls Trivedi. True to Warne’s word,the Royals did not lose a single match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium during their title winning campaign.

With glamorous distractions at their behest,it can get difficult for these men to venture out of the lavish cocoon. While most rate a trip to a mall or a multiplex as their preferred getaways,Rajasthan’s Stuart Binny opts for adventure. He never misses an opportunity to jump into a jeep and go explore sanctuaries in the tiger-reserve state. “I’ve been to Ranthambore thrice already during my stint with the Royals,” wildlife enthusiast Binny says.

For Umesh Yadav,the four-year relationship with Delhi and the Daredevils has been a fruitful one. It’s seen him rise from obscurity to international recognition now. But the tearaway still remains a small-town boy,as paranoid about the city traffic as he was when he first landed here. “I still get overawed by the massive buildings,the fancy cars and the fact that you have to make all your plans based on the traffic,” says Yadav.

LIFE IN A METRO

What helped ease his initial trepidations,he insists was the adoration he received from the people of Delhi. The loyal support that he receives despite hailing from Nagpur. As Raghu Iyer,Rajasthan Royals CEO explains,it’s the bond that the outstation players can form with the people of their adopted city that makes all the difference in their quest to assimilate with the place.

“Rahul Dravid has such a deep affiliation with Bangalore. But once the people of Jaipur accepted him as their own,it was natural that he would reciprocate. In fact,at a literary festival last week,one fan asked everyone on the dais a question except Rahul,claiming that our skipper was a Jaipuri anyway and could be approached any other time,” says Iyer.

The greatest example of this public acceptance in the IPL is how the Chennai Super Kings take proprietorship of Mahendra Singh Dhoni,to the extent that he was even seen imitating Rajinikanth in an advertisement or two. “That is the most important connection. It helps you settle easier. The fans in Chennai don’t just want you to win,they want you to entertain them both on and off the field,” says Wriddhiman Saha,Dhoni’s back-up ‘keeper with India and CSK.

Unique fan-following

But fans are not the same everywhere,claims pacer Praveen Kumar,who spent his first three IPL years in Bangalore before being bought by Kings XI Punjab in 2011. In contrast to Bangalore,the Mohali supporters are far more forgiving. “You get more privacy here. It’s mainly a family crowd that turns up. Even if you lose they’ll never get abusive. You’ll rather hear them saying,Shaam ko lassi-wassi pine,agla match ache se khelenge,” says Kumar. “In Punjab,I have hardly ever posed with just one person for a photograph. It’s always a whole family.”

How much ever the long association with a franchise gets these players in-sync with the heartbeat of their respective second homes,access to food of their choice is not always guaranteed.

Considering a sportsman’s diet is rather regimented,do these players ever get to indulge in the local delicacies? Yes,insists Trivedi. “There’s a traditional eating place called Choki Dhani,where you get a variety of Rajasthani dishes. It’s a big hit with the overseas players,” he says. And what would be his personal favourite? “Laal Maas (a spicy meat dish) and Crispy Bhindi,which by the way are always on the menu on match-days,courtesy me.”

Bengali cuisine,for many,is an acquired taste. Balaji and his taste-buds agree. “I have actually begun relating some dishes with the food I am used to back home. I love the Radha Pallavi (puris with potato curry) and the Macher Paturi (fish in mustard sauce),” he says. Incidentally,for Saha,it is the other way around. The Bengal player playing for Chennai is now big on the masala dosa.

With IPL 6 just two weeks away,it’s Shondesh time for Balaji again. And as they head toward their adopted homes,they can at least be rest assured that they are longer strangers in their own land.

The out-of- towners

Ask the man on Chennai’s street and he will tell you that the Almoda-born Ranchi-raised Indian cricket captain is very much a local hero. Ditto is the connection between Bangalore and Virat Kohli. So what makes Dhoni the new Thalaivar and why is Kohli often referred to as Namma Virat? Their loyalty to the respective city’s IPL franchise. The Sunday Express takes a look at those who have spent at least two seasons in a city they wouldn’t have otherwise called home.

ALL FIVE SEASONS:

MS Dhoni (Chennai),Suresh Raina (Chennai),Virat Kohli (Bangalore),Harbhajan Singh (Mumbai),Piyush Chawla (Punjab),Ramesh Powar (Punjab),Siddarth Trivedi (Jaipur),Iqbal Abdulla (Kolkata)

FOUR SEASONS:

Shadab Jakati (Chennai,2009-2012),Amit Singh (Jaipur,2009-2012)

THREE SEASONS:

Umesh Yadav (Delhi 2010-2012),Abu Nechim (Mumbai 2010-2012),Ambati Rayudu (Mumbai 2010-2012)

TWO SEASONS:

Manpreet Gony (Hyderabad) Wriddhiman Saha (Chennai)

Anand Rajan (Hyderabad) Shikhar Dhawan (Hyderabad)

Amit Mishra (Hyderabad) Varun Aaron (Delhi) Ajit Agarkar (Delhi) Shahbaz Nadeem (Delhi) Naman Ojha (Delhi) Irfan Pathan (Delhi) Venugopal Rao (Delhi) Bhargav Bhatt (Punjab) Siddharth Chitnis (Punjab) Praveen Kumar (Punjab) Paul Valthaty (Punjab) Laxmipathy Balaji (Kolkata) Rajat Bhatia (Kolkata) Manvinder Bisla (Kolkata) Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata) Yusuf Pathan (Kolkata) Munaf Patel (Mumbai) Stuart Binny (Jaipur) Ankeet Chavan (Jaipur) Rahul Dravid (Jaipur) Ajinkya Rahane (Jaipur) Arun Karthik (Bangalore) Cheteshwar Pujara (Bangalore) Saurabh Tiwary (Bangalore)