In an announcement that has taken the internet by storm, one of football’s all-time greats, Lionel Andres Messi, is set to face off against Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni in a seven-a-side cricket match scheduled to take place at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on December 14.
What is the reason behind Messi’s trip to India?
Messi is set to visit New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata as a part of a promotional tour of India. The Argentine FIFA World Cup champion is set to visit the country between December 13 and 15.
Which other sports stars are expected to participate in the match?
While efforts to finalise the logistics of the match remain underway, an official at Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) told the Indian Express that the much-anticipated cricket match may also see the likes of other cricketing icons such as Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma take the field.
“Messi will be at Wankhede Stadium on December 14. He is likely to play a cricket match, too, with former and current cricketers. The organisers will come up with a complete schedule once everything is finalised,” a MCA official told The Indian Express.
Messi to return to India after 14 years
This tour of 3 cities will mark Messi’s second visit to India and the first in 14 years after the Argentine skipper travelled to play an international friendly against Venezuela at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium in 2011.
Argentinian national football team’s visit to be put on hold
Commenting on the reports of the Argentina national football team, including Messi, visiting India for a friendly in October, the MCA official remarked that the plan had been put on hold.