Team India cricketers took time out on Monday night to watch Aditya Dhar’s film Dhurandhar at a multiplex in Lucknow. The team had arrived in the city earlier that evening ahead of the fourth T20I match against South Africa, scheduled for December 17 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium.
After securing a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, the squad decided to unwind by watching the blockbuster starring Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, R Madhavan, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and Sara Arjun. The entire auditorium was booked for the special guests for the 8:10 PM show at the Phoenix Palassio mall multiplex.
Coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Suryakumar Yadav, vice-captain Shubman Gill, and players including Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Tilak Varma and others were seen in comfortable casual attire for their movie outing. India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel, a South African, also accompanied them for the movie.
“We had booked the entire Audi No 10 for them as it’s about our star players, and we have so many protocols to abide by for their safety and comfort. So, it was just the players and the support staff who watched this particular show. It was a delight to host the champion team in Lucknow. The total strength of the contingent was 40 members,” said Sajeev Sarin, the regional director for the company. The players exited at 12.10 am.
After landing at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, the Indian team checked into the Hyatt Regency Hotel, while the South African team is staying at the Hotel Renaissance. Both sides are scheduled to have practice sessions at the Ekana Stadium on Tuesday.
Stadium management is fully geared up to host the international match on Wednesday. Make-shift stalls of t-shirt vendors have already started dotting the stadium periphery. Special traffic management plans are also in place to manage the expected crowd and ensure safe entry and exit for the teams and spectators.
India won the opening match, but the visitors levelled the series by winning the second game. After a convincing seven-wicket victory in the third T20I, the hosts will now look to seal the series with another win.
