India vs New Zealand World Cup Semi-final: Ranbir Kapoor hangs out with Akash Ambani in the stands

The ongoing faceoff between India and New Zealand in the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 today, November 15, at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, saw several celebrities from across the globe coming together in Mumbai to witness one of the most nerve-wracking clashes of the tournament.

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor was also seen watching the match along with Mukhesh Ambani’s son Akash Ambani in the stands. They visually seemed excited about the match and can be seen chatting before the game started.

Earlier in the day, while interacting with the media, Ranbir Kapoor said that in 2011, he witnessed MS Dhoni lifting the trophy at the Wankhede; he also added that he is hopeful Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will play well today.

"I watched MS Dhoni lifting the trophy here at the Wankhede in 2011. Hopefully, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play well today,” said Ranbir Kapoor.

Along with these, global celebrity former football player David Beckham was also present at the Wankhede Stadium to witness this once-in-a-lifetime clash; he was also seen chatting with Sachin Tendulkar. Other Bollywood celebrities like Kiara Advani, Siddharth Malhotra, and John Abraham were also seen enjoying the match.

Earlier in the day, even Rajinikanth was seen leaving Chennai airport for Mumbai. While leaving, the superstar told the media that he was going to watch the semifinals, reported the news agency ANI.

Speaking to reporters before leaving for Mumbai, Rajinikanth said, “I am going to see the match.”

Meanwhile, Captain Rohit Sharma chose to bat first after winning the toss. He said, “We are gonna bat first. Looks like a good pitch. Looks like on the slower side. Whatever we do, we need to do well."

“I think it was back in 2019 when we played the semis. New Zealand is one of the most consistent sides. Very important day. Constantly talking about how important it is about turning up on that day. It is about controlling the controllables," captain Rohit added.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said at the toss that they would have batted first, too, if the toss had gone in their favour.

"We would have batted first. Looks like a used pitch. We would want to do well with the ball and then, hopefully, some dew later. Amazing occasion. Four years ago, a similar situation but a different location. They have been playing some good cricket. Always a building phase between the tournaments. Need to assess what is in front of you when the tournament starts. We are going with the same team from the previous match," Williamson said.

Also read: World Cup semi-final, IND vs NZ: Shubman Gill retires hurt after scoring 79