Thiruvananthapuram cheered for its local boy; Greenfield Stadium disappointed by Sanju Samson's performance

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Karyavattom Greenfield International Stadium was filled with chants of "Sanju... Sanju..." Fans began arriving at the stadium in the afternoon to support Sanju, who was playing for the Indian team at his home ground for the first time, 11 years after his debut in international cricket. By the evening, all the roads leading to Karyavattom were packed with fans, most of whom were wearing blue jerseys of the Indian team featuring Sanju's name.

The teams arrived at the stadium at 5 PM, and the gallery was already buzzing with excitement as spectators had been allowed in earlier. Cheers erupted when the team bus arrived with the players. Sanju got off the bus to a roaring crowd, but he was late to warm up with the rest of his team. He made his entrance onto the field at 6 PM.

When India won the toss and elected to bat, the excitement among the fans intensified. "Oh my God... Don't worry, Thiruvananthapuram, Sanju Samson is playing tonight," Suryakumar told the commentator with a smile, prompting another round of applause from the audience. The atmosphere was electric when Sanju stepped up to bat at exactly 6:57 PM. However, disappointment swept through the gallery when he scored just six runs before being dismissed early.

Tickets not given, gallery not filled

Despite the tickets for the match selling out within hours, the stands were not filled until the game began. A total of 33,000 tickets were available for purchase online. While the stadium can accommodate more than 40,000 spectators, ticket sales were limited for security reasons.

By the time the match began, many upper-tier seats were full, but numerous lower-tier seats remained empty. This time, there was a significant complaint that former players, coaches, and members of affiliated clubs in the district did not receive the passes they usually get. Sanju's former coach, Biju George, even posted on Facebook, "I want to watch the game; can I get a ticket?" The empty seats in the stadium became a topic of discussion.