From Afghanistan to Alandur: How Chepauk came alive for the T20 World Cup

T20 World Cup 2026: A first-person account of the New Zealand–Afghanistan match at Chepauk, where Chennai’s knowledgeable crowd turned a neutral T20 World Cup on Sunday into a memorable cricket clash.

There is never a dull moment in T20 cricket. Usually associated with windy evenings, India’s floodlit stadiums come to life with nail biting encounters and bitter sporting rivalry.

So, when I trudged my way on a lazy Sunday morning to the hallowed MA Chidambaram stadium, for the New Zealand-Afghanistan match at the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup, I envisioned a tepid encounter. But thanks to Chennai’s ‘Knowledgeable Cricket Crowd’ - a sobriquet earned over the years for the fans’ support of a good game irrespective of the playing teams - the morning was as much a spectacle as any IPL high-energy game.

Waiting patiently in line to get into the ground was Mohammad Imran, a fan who had come just a few days ago from Afghanistan. A few excited local cricket fans wanted to take selfies with him - probably because of his grand dress and turban, which make him stand out among the crowd. After posing for a few pictures, he told me that he was here for a couple of days to take in the cricket frenzy, apart from a bit of sight seeing. “It’s great to see the support for cricket here. I even saw quite a bit of support for the Afghan team which was quite heartening,” he said, adding that Afghanistan’s good showing in the previous World Cup has led to a rise in interest in the game back home.

If Imran came all the way from Afghanistan, 25-year-old Ramana arrived from Alandur, taking the Metro to get here. I caught him bargaining for a New Zealand T-shirt from one of the many roadside shops that spring to life at the periphery of the stadium during match days. “Akka, Santner T-shirt kudunga (give me the T-shirt with the lettering ‘Santner’),” he says, referring to the New Zealand captain and former Chennai Super Kings allrounder.

Daryl Mitchell of New Zealand and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan during the ICC T20 World Cup match at MAC Stadium in Chennai | Photo Credit: RAGU R

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