Even after being a home side, Sri Lanka’s unexpected absence from the final led their fans to support Team India. However, this sudden heart of change came after a bitter fight filled game against Bangladesh on March 16.
Before the final, There was even a Facebook page where the Sri Lankan fans have expressed their desire to see India win the final. The snake dance, the arguments, the speculations over the broken dressing-room glass, and in general the heated environment during and after the game has pushed the Sri Lankan fans towards India.
The support reached a crescendo in the dying overs of the match, where each of Dinesh Karthik’s blows met thunderous applause. They waved the Indian flag furiously as Karthik finished the match with a six. At the same time, Bangladesh were furiously booed at, especially Shakib Al Hasan when he was speaking to the commentators after the match.
On the other hand, Rohit Sharma enjoyed this unexpected support from the Sri Lankan fans.
“Brilliant game, brilliant for the crowd who have come out in numbers. The support we got here from this crowd was brilliant, it would be a bit different if we were playing Sri Lanka but I would like to thank them for their show tonight,” he said.
