At least seven members of the Indian cricket team offered prayers at the renowned Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday morning, ahead of the fifth and final Twenty20 International against New Zealand.

Early morning temple visit

The players, who arrived in the Kerala capital on January 29, visited the temple around 9.15 am, sources said. Dressed in traditional attire mandated by the temple, the group spent close to 30 minutes inside the sprawling complex, seeking blessings ahead of Saturday’s series decider.

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The group included India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav, all-rounder Axar Patel, batters Rinku Singh and Varun Chakravarthy, and spin bowlers Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi. India’s fielding coach T Dilip also accompanied the players during the visit.

Temple’s significance

Sources said temple officials briefed the cricketers on the historical and spiritual importance of the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple and the city of Thiruvananthapuram. The city’s name translates to “City of Lord Ananta” and is centred around the centuries-old temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, revered as one of South India’s most prominent Hindu shrines.

India and New Zealand are scheduled to play the final T20I on Saturday. While India has already won three of the four matches, the final match will be crucial for players, as it will be vital to the decisions behind the selection of the playing eleven for the upcoming world cup.

(With agency inputs)