ISL Final: Atletico de Kolkata vs Kerala Blasters or Sourav Ganguly vs Sachin Tendulkar?
Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar had epic partnerships which took Indian cricket to new highs. The legendary cricketers though would now lock horns against each other when their Indian Super League football teams battle it out for the coveted title.
On Saturday the final of the inaugural Indian Super League will be played between Atletico de Kolkata and Kerala Blasters in Mumbai. After 2 months and 8 days the tournament that has seemingly propelled Indian football will come to an end. Incidentally though, 2 cricketers are turning out to be the force, at least in part, behind the unprecedented excitement that the championship match has generated.
The television promo of the tournament starts with Sourav Ganguly saying 'winning is great but I ask you what is bigger than coming first?' and then later has David James says 'the first Champions'. Clearly, James, the manager of Kerala Blasters and Ganguy the co-owner of Atletico de Kolkata know the importance of winning the first Indian Super League but with both sides more or less upsetting the favourites to reach so far - are they happy with just reaching the final? Ganguly didn't really give a clear answer to the question 'You're a winner so getting to the finals is not enough is it? saying 'I don't have an answer to this question. As an athlete, as someone who has played world cup finals, it is a big stepping stone and I have captained in a world cup final so I know the pressure. Whatever happens, happens. We are still with the side''
The focus though is on the fact that this will be a battle between 2 co-owners and legendary cricketers in Sachin Tendulkar of Kerala and Sourav of Kolkata. Dada though did say he 'I have opened with him for 200 games I can sit next to him for one last time'
Such is the excitement regarding Sourav and Sachin facing off against each other that Sachin vs Sourav was amongst the top trends on twitter.
© PTI
Dada though had made it very clear on NDTV even before tournament started that when it comes to football he was the dada saying ''I hope he (Sachin) is watching this interview I want to tell him that in cricket he was far better but in the ISL he is far far behind he is right at the bottom of the ladder and hopefully I can teach him some football teach him to kick that ball the cricket ball was special to him but I think football I am a little bit ahead of him''
With the number of online viewers crossing 1.1 million for the 2nd leg of the 1st Semi-Final expect the final to break all viewership records for a football match in India. And then it may just be the awakening of the country FIFA President Sepp Blatter termed the sleeping giant in world football.