Kolkata delirious over KKR triumph in IPL

Kolkata, May 28 (IANS) : Youths beat drums, burst crackers and partied on the streets as the eastern metropolis celebrated the maiden title conquest of Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League Sunday.

Having watched with baited breath the nerve-wracking final against defending champions Chennai Super Kings, the city erupted in joy 15 minutes to midnight as local hero Manoj Tiwary pulled Dwayne Bravo to the sqaure leg fence to fashion a five-wicket win for the Knight Riders with two balls to spare.

A collective shout of “yes!” went out from households and from thousands of those who had gathered before the giant screens put up at various points of the city. Cars honked, people hugged each other and lit torches on the streets.

“We have been waiting for this moment for five years. So this is a proud moment for us,” exclaimed a teenage girl, who watched the match live at one such giant screen on South Kolkata’s Prince Anwar Shah Road.

The KKR theme song “Korbo, Lorbo Jitbo re” (we will do it, we will fight it out, we will win it) was on everybody’s lips, as the KKR win ushered in an untimely Diwali with the darkness of midnight dissipated by fireworks from the northern periphery of Dum Dum to the southern fringe of Garia, from the eastern end of Behala to the western extreme of Garden Reach.

“It’s a dream come true,” said leading Bengali film actress Rituparna Sengupta.

State Sports Minister Madan Mitra gave a political spin to the KKR’s victory.

“It is the first anniversary of our government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. And it is also the first win for KKR,” he quipped.