The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) announced that ticket holders for the second T20I between India and England tomorrow will be able to use the metro services for free to travel to and from the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.Tickets for the second T20I have been sold out, with Chepauk expected to be packed for the weekend match, which comes just after the Pongal festivities in the city. The Chennai Metro Rail, in partnership with the TNCA, had previously offered free metro travel for ticket holders during matchdays in the IPL 2023 season. This initiative aims to ease potential traffic congestion around the iconic venue, which is situated near Marina Beach.
“Match ticket holders can avail free metro rides for both up and down journeys,” the TNCA announced in a social media post.
Chennai is set to host an international match for the first time since the Test match against Bangladesh in September 2024. The MA Chidambaram Stadium will also host a white-ball match for the first time since the 2023 World Cup.
Team India and England have arrived in Chennai for their second T20I match of the five-match series yesterday.
India currently lead the series 1-0 after securing a seven-wicket victory in the first T20I at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
In the first match, England struggled with the bat, with only skipper Jos Buttler managing a significant contribution of 68 runs off 44 balls, as they were restricted to 132 in their 20 overs.
India’s spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy (3/23) and Axar Patel (2/20), along with pacers Arshdeep Singh (2/30) and Hardik Pandya (2/20), were the standout performers with the ball. In response, India’s Abhishek Sharma stole the show with a blistering 79 off just 34 balls, including five fours and eight sixes, as he guided his team to a comfortable seven-wicket victory with 43 balls to spare.