“Brother, the authorities have probably never met a person from the middle class, so they have no idea of how few of us attend cricket matches. I could afford prices at Wankhede in the 80s and early 90s with my pocket money. But my son now makes Rs 20,000 a month, he can barely afford to come into a Rs 15,000 game for that. Expensive tickets, followed by the additional costs (food and beverage)...they add up to make it a very expensive day out, brother (sic),” a distinct voice emerged as the murmur of the crowd swirled around while Mumbai Indians took the field for their sixth IPL game this year.

“Beshaq, bhaisaab! (undoubtedly, brother) Cricket was religiously followed in our house too. I used to watch cricket a lot in my youth but have not been to a game for years. Recently with the success of this Indian team, I considered attending matches, but the ticket prices have changed my mind. I would have liked to take my son out for matches more often to introduce him to the nuances of this game, but it is too expensive in an era when we are all cutting expenditure,” remarked another.