Come winter, Lionel Messi might trade his football studs for cricket spikes and instead of a football at his feet, the Argentine legend may have a cricket bat in his hand. And, if all goes to plan, it could well be Messi vs MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli at the Wankhede Stadium in a seven-a-side cricket match on December 14.
Efforts are on to finalise the logistics of the match, which may also see the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma take the field. It is learnt that a well-known event agency has requested the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to block the ground for December 14, when Messi is expected to visit Mumbai as part of a promotional tour of India.
“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 source told The Indian Express.
During his brief visit, likely from December 13 to 15, Messi is expected to visit New Delhi and Kolkata too. It will be Messi’s second visit to India and the first in 14 years after the Argentine World Cup-winner travelled to play an international friendly against Venezuela at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium in 2011.
Earlier, there were reports that the Argentina national football team, including Messi, would visit India for a friendly in October. This was revealed by Kerala’s Sports Minister V Abdurahiman, after the state government reached an agreement with the Argentina Football Association (AFA) to host two games involving La Albiceleste in Kerala.
However, that plan has been put on hold, it is learnt.
Messi, 38, currently plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and is eyeing to play in the FIFA World Cup for one last time next year, after leading Argentina’s march to the title in 2022, when the tournament will be held in the USA.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
