Festive mood rules as fans from other states converge in the city

Visakhapatnam: Cricket fans from different parts of Andhra Pradesh and states like Telangana and Odisha descended upon the port city on Wednesday to watch the two IPL playoff matches on May 8 and May 10.
The city is hosting IPL matches after a gap of three years, and two key fixtures at that. Needless to say, cricket fever in the city is at an all-time high.While some fans have checked into hotels, others are staying at the homes of their relatives and friends. According to reports, a huge number of engineering students from the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh have taken shelter in hostel and PG rooms of their friends, who have been studying in various institutions of the city.
Jagan and Sunil Chowdhary from Odisha, who were seen at the ticket redemption centre, told TOI that they were staying with their friends in MVP colony “We will stay in the city for the next two days to witness the fireworks of MS Dhoni in the second qualifier,” they said.
B Koushik, an engineering student from East Godavari district said that he had arrived in the city along with a team of his friends. “We rarely get an opportunity to watch international cricketers playing in these parts. That’s why we have decided to watch the matches in Visakhapatnam,” he said.
Another fan Anil Ganguly who has travelled from Kharagpur of West Bengal, said that watching cricketers from the gallery is an experience unmatched by tv-viewing.