In a country where cricket is religion, the at Marine Drive in Mumbai was a stampede waiting to happen. The pictures that have been out since on social media show a very sanitised version of the event - mostly aerial views, talking about "Cricket being a religion" but none that showcase the mayhem it was for young, old and female fans on the ground. With the announcement a day prior, many fans travelled from all over and even in the packed Mumbai local trains, most like devotees chanting their way to the stadium with "Vande Mataram", "Bharat Mata Ki", "Mumbai cha Raja Kaun Rohit Sharma", and even "Jai Shri Ram".
While the regular trains were full and brimming, many Mumbaikars travelled by the AC locals only to be met by the ticket checkers, who usually aren't there in any other crowded locals on normal days but were having a bountiful day, knowing how many ticketless travellers would be on them. ADVERTISEMENT Only chaos ensued as this reporter was caught in the crowd like many other trying to exit Churchgate station at 4 pm but were met with a sea of youngsters chanting and making their way out onto the street walking towards Marine Drive from different lanes. While the wide roads could accommodate the people en route, standing between the Nykaa showroom and Pizza By The Bay, it only got worse.
Situated at the turning, it was a complete hindrance for everyone standing there due to the constant flow of cricket fans looking to proceed closer to the start of Trident, where the a.