Rahul and Priyanka to rally for Kolkata team

Add as a preferred source on Google

Kolkata, Apr 20: AICC General Secretary and a die-hard cricket lover Rahul Gandhi arrived at NSCBI airport here today with sister Priyanka Vadra to watch the much-hyped IPL match at Eden Gardens.

The stadium will be charged up this evening as Shah Rukh Khan's team Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Deccan Chargers of Hyderabad led by V V S Laxman . Deccan Chargers has the presence of players like Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchirst, Herschelle Gibbs and Afridi. Not to mention, the KKR, who had a historic victory in the IPL's maiden match at Bangalore against the local Royal Challengers is all set to win the second match.

Bengal Tiger Sourav Ganguly's team will not only be cheered by the Kolkatans but also all supporters of King Khan, who has already carved a niche for himself in the field of managing and owning a cricket team despite several criticisms.

Besides Rahul and Priyanka, film maker Karan Johar and actor Arjun Rampal will also be present to cheer for the Bollywood Badshah's team. Meanwhile, besides 400 policemen in plain clothes and 4,500 in uniform, there will be a three-tier security arrangement at the Eden Gardens--from the gates to the stadium seats, city Police Commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakraborty said.

A team of National Security Guards (NSG) has also arrived in the city last night to take charge of security for the Gandhi siblings, he informed.

Mr Chakraborty said three senior police officers would be on duty each in the upper and lower tiers of the stadium, while security personnel in plain clothes would be posted in each stand.

''We are not taking any chance. The spectators would get entry only after policemen allowed them, even though their tickets would be checked with laser guns,'' he said.

UNI