Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shared pictures of playing cricket at the Azad Maidan with some youngsters as he made his way to Mumbai. In a lengthy caption on his social media handle, Sunak reflected that a trip to Mumbai remains unfulfilled without playing tennis ball cricket at the storied venue.
The 44-year-old was one of the most notable figures present during the fifth and final T20I between India and England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Sunak was spotted having a conversation with Infosys CEO Narayanmurthy while watching the match and chatted with captains Suryakumar Yadav and Jos Buttler before the fixture.
Taking to Instagram, the UK politician wrote that Oval Maidan is the breeding ground for some of India's greatest cricketers and feels privileged to play there alongside cricketers of all ages. He stated:
"No trip to Mumbai would be complete without a game of tennis ball cricket. Oval Maidan remains one of the world’s great grassroots cricketing arenas, where people of all ages come together to play."
"And just nearby, Parsee Gymkhana has been at the heart of Mumbai’s cricketing culture for generations, shaping young talent and keeping the spirit of the game alive. The energy, talent, and love for the sport here are incredible."
Abhishek Sharma runs riot at the Wankhede Stadium as Team India bury England
As for the result of the game, England suffered their heaviest T20I defeat as things went awry for them from the outset. Opener Abhishek Sharma lit up the Wankhede Stadium with his 37-ball ton to propel the Men in Blue to an imposing 247/9 in what was a dead-rubber game. The left-handed batter followed it up by taking two vital wickets with his left-arm spin as the tourists crumbled to 97 all out in less than 15 overs.
Mohammed Shami, who replaced Arshdeep Singh in the line-up, was the pick of the bowlers, taking three scalps to consign England to a 150-run loss and a 4-1 series defeat. England and India will move on to the ODI series that begins on February 6 in Nagpur.