Farmers have decided to cash in on the maestro's final Ranji outing by selling the complimentary passes given ... Read More

LAHLI: For India's premier domestic tournament that seemed destined to be played to empty stands in forgotten venues, Lahli 's Ranji Trophy tie between Haryana and Mumbai is proving quite an aberration.

With Sachin Tendulkar 's final appearance for Mumbai, such is the frenzy over the man's presence that it's easy to forget there's a cricket match on. But it's not just the fan mania and a security avalanche.

Farmers of this unremarkable Haryana hamlet and surrounding villages have decided to cash in on the maestro's final Ranji outing by selling the complimentary passes given to them by the Haryana Cricket Association – with many going for anything between Rs 5,000 to 10,000.

Fans coming in from Delhi, Chandigarh and Ludhiana discovered that the association had distributed the passes to the sarpanch of each village, who subsequently passed them on to their farmers. But that has not deterred the fans. Placing the value of a Sachin farewell at par with an IPL outing in Delhi, many are simply happy to pay. "This is the last time we will get to watch Sachin play in our region. We don't mind paying such a price," a Delhi-based fan said.