World Cup 2023: WC caravan breathes new life into Dharamsala | Cricket-world-cup News

Not too far from the second entrance of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA), one can spot a colossal deep blue-and-pink-coloured hoarding with the logo of the 2023 ODI World Cup.“It takes one day,” reads the text beside the gold and silver trophy. It’s an apt phrase for the mood around Dharamsala and the state of Himachal Pradesh. The sight of logics equipment being unloaded from carriers few of the hundreds of workers stationed at the venue has an uplifting effect on the locals.
Not that long ago, torrential rains in the state had cut its golden lifeline, tourism. Even though Dharamsala wasn’t as badly impacted as some of the other regions in the state, videos in social media showing miles of road blockages, bridges collapsing, landslides from elsewhere hardly helped. One Day (cricket) has breathed new life into the picturesque city.
Gurpreet Singh, owner of M/S Harbans Singh Harbhajan Singh, a 30-year-old dribution firm, is expecting a threefold increase in business from what it was in the last two months. “There’s the wedding and festive season up ahead and cricket has come as a boon for us. It’s a pivotal moment for the economics of Dharamsala,” he tells The Indian Express.
Not too far from the second entrance of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA) in Dharamsala, one can spot a colossal deep koamaru and royal pink colored hoarding embedded with the logo of the 2023 ODI World Cup. “It takes one day,” reads the text beside the gold and silver trophy. It’s an apt phrase for the mood around Dharamsala and the state of Himachal Pradesh.
Singh is a long-time partner with the hotel hosting the World Cup teams in the city, which has led to an exponential increase in his supply network this week.
“In the Dharamsala region, our supply is 4-5 tonnes of rations/week, which is what we’ve supplied to the hotel this week. We’re expecting the demand to grow even more in the coming month.”
Among the rations supplied for the players are products that aren’t usually in demand here; such as lactose-free milk, which has been asked for the long stay of the New Zealand team, who play two games in Dharamsala. “Lactose-free milk is usually bought once in two-three months. Last three days, we’ve given them 5-6 petis, ie 160 pieces of 250ml each,” Singh shares.

The World Cup caravan coming to a city spanning 27.6 square km bodes well for the near towns as well. Singh shares a fascinating insight about Chamunda Devi, in the Dharamsala tehsil. “Whenever HPCA hosts matches, the police force which comes from around Himachal Pradesh is stationed somewhere around Chamunda Devi. Usually, during IPL matches – which are one or two every year – that place doesn’t see that much influx. But the 4,000-5,000 police/security forces that’ll be stationed during the World Cup are going to benefit everyone. Even the dhabas are expecting profits and calling for higher stocks. The tournament will not just be profitable for big businesses but also small-scale ones.”
Boon from above
Rajesh Guleri – owner of Karan Fast Food corner – says: “Ye matches jo hai wo maalik ka vardaan hai, (These matches are God’s blessing on the region).”
Less than a six-minute walk away from the HPCA, his Maggi and momos are savoured students who study at the university and school near. Cricket in Dharamsala has added to the customers.
“I’m able to talk to you right now but during the games, I can only utter ‘Yes, Okay, Thank you’,” says Guleri about his business on IPL match days. Five games of the World Cup have him even more optimic and excited.

“You only need to wait till tomorrow. People come to the stadium even when there are no matches, buy tickets just to see the stadium from inside. The public will definitely come now. My daily clientele is upwards of 150. These five games, I’m projecting at least 800 a day.”
What about the India match day? “Us din toh hum hi nahi dikhenge aapko! (Even I won’t be visible that day with all the crowd around),” says Guleri with a smile on his face.
Less than a km away from his food cart is Conifer, the three-star hotel nearest to the cricket stadium. For those visiting, there’s no point in trying for bookings. “We got all booked up inside a week of the final schedule being announced,” says owner Saurav Thakur.
The World Cup reminds Thakur of the last time Dharamsala was slated to host an international game, an India-Australia Test match earlier this year, before it was moved to Indore. “Some 20 Australians who’d already booked their visit stayed in Dharamsala for 10 days and watched the third Test on our fourth floor terrace gardens with their beers,” he recalls with a chuckle.Most Read
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When asked if he’s stocked the beer in advance ahead of the marquee tournament, a bigger laugh follows, “The supply was already in stock. Pichhle do mahine se toh stock hi hua wo,(we haven’t used any of it for the last two months).”

For his own reasons, which are tough to understand, cab driver Suresh Kumar is also happy despite admitting that it’ll be harder to drive his sedan on the mountain roads of Dharamsala in the coming month.
Kumar, who’s usually stationed at the airport, shares the dejection of fewer tours coming to Dharamsala since July. “The airport is 15 kms away from the city. In the last two months, if we got a ride for the town, we wouldn’t bother driving back. Now we have a reason to.”