Not that I needed to worry.
Like Dhoni's Devils, Mumbai likes to come through in the clutch. It is a city that pushes itself to the very last minute, but then rises to the occasion like no other place on earth. It saves its hysteria for when it really counts.
And so while the cabride initially featured stray Dadar schoolboys playing traffic policemen for cover, there was an unmistakable feeling of impending buzz as we headed along the path earmarked for the cavalcade. The rain hadn't slowed but a gaggle of appropriately blue-clad schoolkids chirruped excitedly, waving down cars with their flags and generally making the most of a legitimate reason to cut class.
If you look close, the lad in the extreme right of the lower picture has Singh's name emblazoned with chalk on the back of his shirt. The perfect over has ensured big-hitter immortality for Yuvraj, and the Prince of Twenty20 suddenly finds himself inspiring yet another young generation. The 'Yuvraj, Yuv-raaaj' yell is instant and catchy. And won't die down anytime soon.
Also read: 'Yuvi should be remembered as second Bradman'
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