PALLEKELE: Vimal Kharadkar (name changed on request) is a businessman based out of Pune. Shlok, his 19-year-old son, is a huge fan of former India captain MS Dhoni. As the son wanted to watch Dhoni in action, Vimal decided to surprise him by buying two tickets for the IPL final in Ahmedabad. They got lucky as they got two tickets. The only problem was Shlok's final examination for BCom I year was on and his last paper was scheduled on Tuesday, a couple of days after the match.
They decided to watch the final and come back on Monday to make sure Shlok doesn't miss the exam. Unfortunately for them, rain abandoned the play between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans, shifting it to the next day. Left with no option, the father gave away the tickets to one of son's friends and returned to Pune with a heavy heart.
Faced with the same dilemma, the businessman decided to keep options with him this time around. Either watch India-Pakistan match in Asia Cup or at the World Cup or both.
"I will try to get tickets for the World Cup match in Ahmedabad scheduled on October 14. But things are not looking good at the moment. I don't know whether I will be able to buy tickets or not. So this time, I have also decided to buy tickets for the clash between the arch-rivals at the Asia Cup," Vimal told The New Indian Express at the Colombo Airport in Sri Lanka.
Apart from watching the match on Saturday at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, the duo also decided to visit places in the island nation. They are scheduled to return back on Monday. Like Ahmedabad, this time Vimal has spent around Rs 60k for the Sri Lanka tour to allow his son to watch the match from the stands.
Luck, however, seems to be eluding him. "I have heard there is a chance of rain during the match. I seriously hope the match happens as we don't want to return without watching the match this time around," he added.
And the father-son duo will not be the lone sufferers if weather plays spoilsport. There are a lot of fans who have reached Sri Lanka to watch the high-octane contest. A few of them from Mumbai reached Colombo on Thursday so that they could visit places nearby before witnessing the Indian and Pakistan cricketers in action. They too are a worried lot now as they wouldn't be able to prolong their stay in Sri Lanka for the second possible clash between the two teams in the Super 4 stage.
"I am 53 and this will be my first cricket match overseas. I know after a few years I wouldn't be able to roam as freely as today so I have decided to follow the Indian team in its overseas tours. May it all turn out to be good," signed off Vimal.