Thiruvananthapuram: Members of the Indian cricket team visited the historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple ahead of the final match of the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, which will be played at the Greenfield Stadium on Saturday.
India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, all-rounder Axar Patel, and batters Rinku Singh, along with spin bowlers Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Ravi Bishnoi, were seen in traditional attire as they seek blessings ahead of the match.
Team India is on a religious path throughout the series. The players recently visited the historic Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple in Simhachalam ahead of the fourth match in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh,.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir previously visited the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain and the Kalkaji Temple situated in Guwahati during the ongoing white-ball series against New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the Indian cricket team is in great form in the ongoing T20I series. Under the leadership of Suryakumar, they have already clinched the series with three wins in the first three matches. However, the team suffered a big defeat against the Black Caps in the fourth match on Wednesday.
After being put in to bat first, New Zealand put on a mammoth total of 215 runs, with Tim Seifert and Devon Conway playing brilliant knocks. India struggled from the start in the chase as the visitors took early wickets, and despite Shivam Dube’s valiant knock of 65 runs, India lost by 50 runs.
The team will now aim to finish the series on a winning note when they meet the visitors in the 5th T20I.
India’s clinical performance in the series is seen as a big boost for the defending champions as they ramp up their preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which will commence on February 7.
India is placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, the USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands. They will open their campaign against the USA on February 7.
(IANS)
