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29 March 2024

5 places to catch your cricket stars

Published

The fever pitch has batted itself into frenzy as the celebrated Indian Premiere League teams descend onto Dubai amidst much fanfare and nail-biting suspense ahead of the cricketing tournament that opens on April 16.
 
If you are a cricket fan, chances are your IPL match tickets are safely tucked away under lock and guard as the coveted entry passes into the three stadiums hosting the matches – namely Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah – have sold out across the UAE.
 
However, if standing in line at LuLu and refreshing that page on Ticketmaster did not bear fruit of the sought-after IPL tickets, then there’s still a chance for you to catch the players live outside the stadiums.
 
Emirates24|7 puts together hotspots across the city where a player sighting of your favourite team could very well be on the cards. Are you ready to be bowled over?
 
Iris Dubai
 
The trendy, relatively new, hotspot on the Dubai social scene, Iris restaurant and lounge makes it to the top of our list considering several IPL players (anyone a Mumbai Indians fan?) are staying at The Oberoi Hotel, Business Bay.
 
We can say with some certainty that many a player will find their way to the posh nosh to kick back after a tiring day at practice.
 
And if you hang out the lobby long enough, a few more sightings won’t go amiss.
 
The Dubai Mall
 
Literally a stone’s throw away from Business Bay and coupled with the fact The Dubai Mall offers a shopping experience that arguably no other avenue can match, it is only safe to say that a few players will be spotted sauntering through the trendy stores the weekend before the matches are expected to start.
 
At the stadiums
 
Kolkota Knight Riders have touched down in Abu Dhabi, as have Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai. 
 
Your best bet to catch the stars practising the nets would be at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in the capital and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, as well.
 
In fact the team that is co-owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has already posted videos of their practice session in the capital on their official Twitter account.
 
At the airport
 
Even several teams have started to trickle down to the UAE ahead of IPL Season 7 to kick off, Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Delhi Daredevils are expected to arrive in the country on April 12.
 
If you luck out at some of the other hotspots over the weekend, a sure fire sighting at Dubai Airport will certainly have you cheering before the season even kicks off.
 
Emirates Palace
 
On April 15, Shah Rukh Khan will be hosting a gala dinner for the opening ceremony of IPL 7, with Madhuri Dixit and Deepika Padukone in tow.
 
All the teams and their starry owners, including Shilpa Shetty of Rajhastan Royals and Priety Zinta of Kings XI Punjab will be sitting tall to enjoy the festivities before the real action begins on the pitch.