“Last year, I was in Sri Lanka for a family trip, just around the time when India were to play Pakistan in the Asia Cup. But rain caused chaos, forcing us to return. I was there with my son, who was looking forward to his first visit to a cricket stadium,” reminisces Anirban Sengupta, an India fan, embodying a curious mix of enthusiasm and resignation, hailing from Abu Dhabi.

“It was quite the experience, really. There we were, in Colombo—living our best lives as first-time parents, when rain decided to play spoilsport. My son takes immense interest in this game too, and so does my wife. This is my ninth time watching an India match live, and first time with my son and wife together. As NRIs, we cling to anything that is even remotely related to our home country.”