Excitement grips Raipur as India & New Zealand teams land ahead of second T20I

Raipur: Excitement swept through Swami Vivekananda Airport on Thursday as the Indian and New Zealand cricket teams arrived in the city ahead of the second T20 International to be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium here on Friday. Amid tight security, both teams were escorted directly from the airport to their respective hotel. While Indian team is staying at Courtyard by Marriott, NZ team is staying at Hyatt.Fans thronged the airport to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars. Some arrived holding photographs of Hardik Pandya, while children stood eagerly with notebooks and pens hoping for autographs. As the players emerged, there was a visible scramble among fans to spot Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh. The New Zealand team too received a warm welcome, with a few enthusiastic supporters even following the team buses all the way to the hotels.With all players now in Raipur, preparations for Friday's high-voltage encounter have entered the final phase. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 pm. The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) has appealed to spectators to reach the stadium and be seated by 5 pm, warning that entry gates will be closed after the first innings. Spectators will not be allowed to carry water bottles, metal objects, pens or other prohibited items inside the stadium.Upon their arrival at the hotels, both teams were accorded a grand traditional welcome. Folk artists in traditional attire performed to the beats of dhol and mandar, offering a vibrant display of Chhattisgarh's cultural heritage. The gesture reflected the state's age-old tradition of warmly receiving guests.Interestingly, neither India nor New Zealand will hold a practice session ahead of the second T20I. According to sources, both teams will head straight to the stadium around 4 pm on match day and, after a brief warm-up, take the field.Buoyed by a convincing win in the first T20I at Nagpur, Team India will be keen to maintain the momentum in Raipur. Several Indian players—Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh and Suryakumar Yadav—have previously played at this venue and are familiar with the pitch and local conditions, a factor that could work to India's advantage.