Indian cricket team’s global supporting
group, The Bharat Army, is now a well-known cricket fan base. Wherever the
Indian team plays, the supporters are right there in the stands to back their
heroes.
A cricket-crazy fan group, which was formed
after the Cricket World Cup 1999, has been looking to broaden their base with
the interesting tour packages they offer to rope in more fans during the Indian
team’s various tournaments across the globe.
Bharat Army marked its 20th anniversary
during last year’s Cricket World Cup, which was played in England. They cheered
for Virat Kohli and Co in massive numbers in every match they played during the
ICC tournament. Bharat Army moved across the United Kingdom with close to
11,000 fans from 23 different nations.
Aanando shares his experience with Bharat Army Travel...
Among the fans who traveled with Bharat Army during the World Cup in 2019, some only visited the UK for the grand finale that was played at the Mecca of Cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground on July 14. One of them was Aanando, who has shared the terrific experience he had with India’s global fan group in England.
“Our experience was great. We were nicely
treated at our hotel.
The breakfast they provided was great too. We even played a cricket match at
the Lord’s. On the eve of the World Cup final, we even partied with the Bharat
Army members. It was great fun. It was a fantastic and memorable experience
that day.
On being asked how the Bharat Army stands
out when compared to other tour operators, Aanando replied,” See, it was my
first experience watching a cricket match overseas. I can say for sure that the
experience was very satisfying and in the future, I’m going to always choose
the Bharat Army for such trips. I wouldn’t opt for any other agency. I’m happy
with the Bharat Army.”
Even though India did not make it to the
final, Aanando said he could not have asked for a better final game to watch
live from the stands. When asked about his most memorable experience during the trip, Aanando instantly mentioned the Super Overs that took place in the World
Cup.
“A World Cup final ended in a draw and then the Super Over also ended in a draw – the match was probably one of the greatest cricket matches to be played. We would have been happier had India made it to the final but then I couldn’t have asked anything better than what actually happened in the final. I was lucky to watch it live,” Aanando added.
The Indian cricket team fan also believes
that both men and women’s teams will reach the semi-final of the upcoming T20
women and men’s World Cup. The women’s World Cup is set to begin next month,
while the men’s tournament is scheduled to be played from October 18 to
November 15.
Like many Indian fans, even Aanando hopes to
watch MS Dhoni back in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. He expects the
team management to shuffle Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and KL Rahul well in
the opening spot, while Kohli will seal his No. 3 place.
Even before we could ask if he would be
attending the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia later this year, an excited
Aanando mentioned that he is planning to watch the final in Melbourne and if he
does, he would surely go through the Bharat Army for the same.