The Indian team, led by skipper Virat Kohli, has arrived in the state capital.. Photo: ManoramaThiruvananthapuram: All preparations for the Twenty20 International (T20I) against New Zealand to be held here on Tuesday have been completed. The Indian team, led by skipper Virat Kohli, has arrived in the state capital. The NZ team too landed early in the morning in a chartered flight.
This is the first ever T20I to be staged in Kerala and is being held at the Greenfield Stadium, which was the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2015 National Games.
Rain threat looms large
The meteorological office has predicted that the weather will be generally cloudy with a few spells of rain or thundershowers starting from Sunday till Wednesday.
Jayesh George, secretary of the Kerala Cricket Association , told IANS that the art ICC- and FIFA-compliant stadium located in the city has excellent drainage facilities.
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Kerala gears up for T20I
Indian skipper Virat Kohli takes a selfie even as a crowd of over enthusiastic supporters vie to get a glimpse of their favorite star. Photo: Tony Dominic
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Kerala gears up for T20I
The first-ever T20 international match hosted by the state at the Sports Hub, Kariavattom, is expected to be a high-octane thriller with both teams going all out to wrap up the series. Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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Kerala gears up for T20I
MS Dhoni looked all set to take on the Black Caps in the series-decider.Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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Kerala gears up for T20I
The hosts will be looking to continue its series winning streak at home. Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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Kerala gears up for T20I
The state capital is staging an international cricket match after a gap of almost three decades. The West Indies team had defeated the Indian side led by Ravi Shastri, the present coach, on January 25, 1988, at the University Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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Kerala gears up for T20I
Indian skipper Virat Kohli waves to the eagerly awaiting crowd at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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Kerala gears up for T20I
No Monday morning blues for these scores of supporters, who turned up early at the airport to catch a glimpse of their favorite stars. Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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Kerala gears up for T20I
The inclement weather conditions notwithstanding, ticket prices for the match have skyrocketed in the black market. Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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Kerala gears up for T20I
The Black Caps will be determined to stop the Indian juggernaut and buck the trend in the series-deciding third and final Twenty20 match on Tuesday. Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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Kerala gears up for T20I
The Kerala capital city should consider itself incredibly lucky to host an encounter of this stature. Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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Kerala gears up for T20I
Players, officials and support staff of both India and New Zealand teams arrived in the capital late on Monday to a rousing welcome. Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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Kerala gears up for T20I
The players, after their arrival at the airport, were taken immediately to the Leela Raviz, Kovalam. Photo: Rinku Raj Mattancheriyil
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"The super soppers and other facilities are all there and even if it rains during the match time, in 10 minutes after the rain stops, the match will be able to resume," said George.
The state capital is staging an international cricket match after a gap of almost three decades when the Vivian Richards led West Indies side played the last of the seven ODI matches against India here on January 25, 1988 at the University Stadium.
The Caribbean side smashed the Indian side led by Ravi Shastri, the present Indian coach, by winning by nine wickets.
Kohli to launch anti-drugs campaign
On Monday afternoon, a few Indian players, including captain Virat Kohli, took part in a program of the Kerala government, 'Say yes to Cricket, No to Drugs', which was inaugurated by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
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