Hello, Mumbai!

If you're looking for a sign, this isn't it. In fact, there aren't many. Apart from the ones at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj airport, which boldly welcome travellers to "the greatest World Cup ever", if you were dropped into India's financial centre from outer space, you would not know the magnitude of what is about to begin.

Or you would, because the cool kids tell me that billboards don't matter anymore. We all spend more time looking down at our screens than up at our surroundings, but to me, presence matters. At the women's T20 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year, there was advertising at all three host venues, and in a country that is not as cricket-obsessed as this one, it served a purpose. That is obviously not the case here, where there's no doubt that cricket trumps all else as the pastime of choice.

Either way, if you're among those who have been tangled in the interwebs, you'll know that many (perhaps all) aspects of this World Cup have been affected by delays. Fixtures were announced later than any other World Cup - and then some of them were moved - tickets went on sale late, and foreign journalists' visas have been arriving late. You may guess from that that some of the preparations are running a little late too, and you won't be too far wrong.

A quick stop at the Wankhede Stadium yesterday revealed that the president's box was being refurbished and a collection of construction workers were busily putting in new flooring and lighting. They didn't look particularly rushed either but don't worry: Mumbai only hosts its first match in three weeks' time. That also may be why the city has yet to catch the World Cup buzz.

On the streets around the ground, city dwellers are going about their day-to-day, and though a painting of Sachin Tendulkar is visible on one of the tower blocks in the city and Virat Kohli's promotional work for a multinational bank is unmissable, there's not a lot else going on, cricket-wise. Most of the signs are about the recent G20 summit held in India, which promotes a message of unity and compassion for the natural environment. "One Earth, One Family, One Future" is plastered all over Mumbai, even as we consider the effects of multiple flights, geographical rivalry, and whether this format will survive beyond this tournament. But there are other signs too.

On the pavements of Lower Parel, light projections of mandala drawings decorate the dark night and the flyover is covered in eye-catching artwork. What stands out are the works depicting scenes from the Covid-19 pandemic, which was so severe here. Public life opened up long before this World Cup and for many, this will be cricket's global celebration of the end of that era. It will also be a time of festivity in the country as a whole. Dussehra and Diwali will both take place during the tournament and India's colours, traditions and culture will be on full display. There aren't a lot of signs at the moment, but over the next six weeks they're going to be tons of them. Keep your eyes open.