Although the Indian team didn’t perform as per expectations in their first two games of the ongoing T20 World Cup, cricket lovers are thronging pubs and sports bars for match screenings. For the first time since the pandemic, there is a craze in the city to attend sports bars for match screenings again, say pub owners.
“People in Hyderabad take their cricket very seriously and they do not compromise when it comes to watching games on the big screen. Even though India lost to Pakistan and New Zealand, the turnout has been really good and cricket fever hasn’t died down. It’s good to see crowds come back in big numbers again after the pandemic,” says Vijay B, manager of Fat Pigeon in Jubilee Hills.

Amit Das, Manager, Sounds and Spirits in Madhapur, adds, “I see many people showing up to watch cricket matches and they are even dragging their friends who do not watch cricket. During the India vs Afghanistan match, the place was buzzing again as Rohit Sharma started hitting sixes. With India’s chances of reaching the semis still alive, we can expect some more busy match nights.”
City pubs create stadium-like atmosphere
While it’s not possible for every cricket lover to watch the match in the stadium, city pubs are going all out to create a stadium-like atmosphere for the World Cup matches. Sameen SK, manager, BDubs Sports Bar in Gachibowli, says, “We have placed 70 screens showing cricket. We also play the commentary to give a stadium-like feel to the match. Apart from this, we also have private lounges for people who don’t want to be disturbed during the match.”
Cricket lovers, too, are enjoying the screenings in town. Rishabh Deshmukh, an IT professional who went to a match screening, adds, “All my friends live in different countries and I did not want to watch World Cup matches all alone. So I decided to go and watch the game at a sports bar in Jubilee Hills. It was a great experience and I made new friends there while watching and discussing cricket.”
Sweet deals on food and drinks on offer during match screenings
Some of the city pubs are coming up with unique deals to draw in more people to watch the match. “During the match, we are serving unlimited beer for a certain price and the youngsters love this offer. We’ve also rolled out complimentary side dishes during match hours,” says G Arshad, manager, 36 Downtown, Jubilee Hills.

M Pasha, General Managar, Amnesia Sky Bar, adds, “Interestingly, many families are stepping out to watch the games. We have made space for a small play area for kids to play while their parents are watching the game. We have also introduced different varieties of platters, cocktails and mocktails.”