Cricket on weekends is serious business – Times of India

Chennai: Two runs to win off the last ball. A lean 25-year-old pacer runs in and bangs it in short. The hefty 33-year-old batsman hits it to point and scampers for a single and the game ends in an exciting tie. Soon, 22 players in whites line up for the customary pleasantries.
It’s not an IPL match, but one of the countless semi-professional games played across Chennai and its suburbs every weekend, with the ‘cricketers’ reliving childhood dreams or trying to emulate their favourite stars. During the week, they are employees of IT firms or consultancies, musicians, college students or even government staff.
While league cricket in Chennai draws cricketers from across the country, weekend cricket is a thriving ecosystem of activity in around 75 grounds, with hundreds of people travelling up to 100 km to catch up on the game. Even umpires, who earn as little as Rs 1,000 a day, go long distances to indulge in their passion; one comes from Kalpakkam.
Their passion matching that of professionals, the number of such weekend cricketers has steadily risen. Every ground hosts at least two games ‒ a T20 match, a 25-over game or 30-over match ‒ a day. Some organisers conduct 50-over games on government holidays. Games are largely on matting pitches, international rules are followed, while scoring is online and can be followed live.
Organisers begin discussions from Monday morning on rates, schedules and match-ups. Playing on a ground in the city can cost a player up to Rs 650, while it is half that rate on the outskirts.
S Jagannathan, who runs an IPL-style tournament for alumni of premier business schools at the CCA ground in Sithalapakkam, feels such games are money spinners. “Having a ground can be lucrative, as many corporates even book it on lump sum basis,” says the senior citizen.
While organisers can net up to Rs 15,000 a month from each ground, for players, each match helps them de-stress and rev up their competitive juices. “I travel 40km-50 km to play in different grounds. Many people play for different reasons, but they are extremely passionate. For me, it helps get to the next level,” says Slizzy J Stott, a 28-year-old IT professional trying to play league cricket.
For many others, says writer-cum-entrepreneur Vikram Mankal, 36, it is the first chance of playing with a leather ball. “People work their leisure times based on cricket schedules. Many practice in indoor nets on weekdays.”