All set for cricketing extravaganza at PCA Stadium in Mohali

Deepankar Sharda

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Mohali, September 19

Cricket fans are geared up for the India-Australia T20I scheduled to be held at IS Bindra PCA Stadium here tomorrow. However, they have to keep their fingers crossed as there are chances of light rain. As per weather reports, Tuesday’s forecast predict partly cloudy and light showers.

Fully prepared

We will have to wait and watch…light showers won’t affect the match. We are fully prepared. I hope the full house will enjoy watching its favourite players live in action. A PCA member

“We will have to wait and watch…light showers won’t affect the match. We are fully prepared. I hope the full house will enjoy watching its favourite players live in action on Tuesday,” said a PCA member.

Surprising the onlookers, Virat Kohli also bowled in the nets, making it a rare sight for cricket lovers.

Meanwhile, both teams attended a precise training session on Monday. While the teams were inside, fans kept waiting outside the stadium to have a look of the favourite stars.

Two such die-hard young fans of Virat Kohli were seen waiting for him and desperately attempting to buy two tickets to watch their favourite player live in action.

Yashir Malik and Junaid Bashir, both from Jammu & Kashmir, are spending sleepless nights in order to watch the match from inside the stadium.

“We have been here for the past two days. We have come all the way from Jammu & Kashmir to watch Kohli playing. We have never seen him live,” said Malik, who himself plays cricket. They study in a Bathinda-based private college.

“I have all records of Kohli on my fingertips. I will literally do anything to watch him playing. He is my real hero and I am ready to pay any amount to go inside the stadium,” said Bashir. Till late evening, the duo was waiting for a miracle to get the match tickets.

While Indian team players attended a full three- hour practice session in the evening under floodlights, the Australian team attended the nets session in the afternoon.

Aussies attend nets session in afternoon

While Indian team players attended a full three- hour practice session in the evening under floodlights, the Australian team attended the nets session in the afternoon. Surprising the onlookers, Kohli also bowled in the nets, making it a rare sight for cricket lovers.

Watch out for

• Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is just two sixes away from becoming the batter with the most sixes in the history of T20I cricket.
• Five T20Is have been played here between 2009 and 2019 and three of these matches have been won by the sides batting second and two by the teams batting first.
• Indian team has registered win in all three T20Is played here, including one against Australia.
• The highest individual score in T20Is is on the name of Virat Kohli, who scored 82 off 51 balls against Australia.
• PCA to unveil two stands named after Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh an hour before the match. The South Pavilion has been named after Harbhajan, while the North Pavilion is named after Yuvraj.
• PCA to honour former Punjab players, who have contributed to the development of nation’s cricket.