India vs England semi-final: Rohit, Dhoni cheer for Men in Blue as Wankhede witnesses star-studded turnout

T20 World Cup-winning captains Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni were among a host of dignitaries present at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium during the semi-final between India and England on Thursday. Dhoni had led the Men in Blue to victory in the inaugural edition of ICC’s showpiece T20 event in 2007 while Rohit had ended an 11-year jinx in 2024 by leading India to their second title.

Rohit, additionally, had been named ‘Brand Ambassador’ for the 2026 T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, and has thus been a constant presence in this tournament. And the ‘Hitman’ and ‘Captain Cool’ aren’t the only Indian cricket stars present at the iconic venue; wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, who was part of India’s squad in the 2021 and the 2022 editions of the T20 World Cup, was also present in the stands along with ICC chairman Jay Shah.

Leading politicians, Bollywood celebs present at Wankhede

Also present at the venue were non-cricketing dignitaries including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his wife Amruta as well as Bollywood celebrities including Anil Kapoor and power couple Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. Also present were members of the Ambani family including Reliance Foundation chairperson Nita, son Akash and daughter Isha.

Due to the Hindi entertainment being based in the ‘Maximum City’, the Wankhede Stadium has always had its fair share of celebrities in the stands. The 2011 ICC World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka at this very venue, after all, had current Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the stands along with superstars such as Rajinikanth and Aamir Khan.

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As for the ongoing semi-final at the Wankhede, India posted a humongous 253/7 on the board after they were invited to bat by England with Sanju Samson continuing his fine form with a blistering 89 off 42 deliveries. And it wasn’t a one-man show for India, with Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan as well as Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma chipping in with handy contributions.

The winner of the semi-final will face New Zealand, who had thrashed South Africa in Kolkata on Wednesday, in the final at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, 8 March.

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