India took on New Zealand in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. While the match itself kept fans on their toes, the closing ceremony also attracted huge attention – especially with international pop star Ricky Martin performing live.Ricky chaired the closing ceremony along with Indian music stars Falguni Pathak and Sukhbir Singh. A video shared on the ICC’s official Instagram account shows Ricky enjoying his time with fans inside the stadium, dancing hard on Sukhbir’s hit song ‘Oh Ho Ho Ho’. Wearing a white T-shirt, the singer was seen jumping and shaking to the beats while fans around him joined in the fun.The clip quickly caught the attention of viewers online. In response, Sukhbir himself wrote in the comments: “Ale ale ale meets oho ho ho!” Fans also raved about the excitement, with one writing: “This is a great atmosphere.” Another commented: “Kia Bat! World class player!”
At the concert, Sukhbir opened the music segment with his famous song “Oh Ho Ho Ho”, which made the audience dance instantly. After his set, Ricky Martin took the stage and performed several of his famous songs.
Speaking about the experience, Sukhbir told Asian News International: “I am very excited because I have never performed in front of a cricket audience before. This performance will be very special…”
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On the cricket field, India put up an explosive batting display. After a flat start of just over 30 runs in the first four overs, Shivam Dube turned the momentum with 24 runs, helping the team to 255/5 – one of the highest totals in T20 World Cup history. The innings slowed briefly as India sent out 16 balls for no boundaries, before Tilak Varma scored a four and Hardik Pandya followed with a six to restore the momentum. However, New Zealand quickly responded by sacking Pandya.The team management’s decision to keep Abhishek Sharma in the opener has also paid off. Sharma made a brilliant 18-ball half-century in the final. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar praised X’s performance, writing, “It was not the easiest tournament for Abhishek Sharma, but the team showed faith in his ability. He repaid that faith with a decisive knock in the final. Well played!”Former India player Irfan Pathan also paid tribute to the innings, posting, “Always support your player who has proven his quality on the big occasion. Team India did that with Abhishek Sharma and he did not disappoint on this big occasion.”Abhishek’s knock also became the fastest half-century in this year’s T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson contributed another strong performance, scoring 89 off 46 balls with five fours and eight sixes before being dismissed.
