At least 7,000 cricket lovers attend IPL fan park in Kottayam

Thousands of sports lovers watched two days of cricket on a big screen at the IPL fan park at Manarcadu in Kerala's Kottayam district. The fan park was set up on the ground of the St Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral.

Four matches, including one featuring Sanju Samson’s Chennai Super Kings, were screened at the fan park on April 18 and 19.

"Earlier, IPL fan parks were held at Palakkad and Kochi, but this was the first time that it was set up in rural Kerala,” Puthuppally MLA Chandy Oommen told Onmanorama.

“You could see the enthusiasm of the people. On the first day, 7,000 people came as CSK and Sanju were playing. Today, Sanju was not playing, and it rained as well. Yet, 3,000 people came. This is a huge crowd in terms of numbers,” said the MLA, who was in attendance on both days.

BCCI official Irfan Dadan lauded the passion for IPL in Kerala. "A star like Sanju Samson came from Kerala. The state has a huge potential. This fan park has attracted a huge crowd," Irfan Dadan said.

A fun zone was also available for kids, with interactive activities such as virtual batting and bowling nets.

Kerala has not hosted an IPL match since 2011, which was the only season the state had a representative called Kochi Tuskers Kerala. The franchise disbanded after just one season.

However, several Malayali cricketers have played in the IPL over the years, with Sanju Samson and S Sreesanth among the most popular. Rajasthan Royals spinner Vignesh Puthur and Punjab Kings wicketkeeper batter Vishnu Vinod are the other Malayalis invovled in IPL 2026.