Cricket aficionados in Dubai will be in for a treat come Thursday when the first-ever Colors Cricket Conclave is held in the city.

Fans of the game have the chance to be a part of an intimate evening featuring legends from the world of cricket’s fiercest rivalry.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag and Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar will recount old tales of their rivalry and shed light on their illustrious careers in a conclave moderated by notable television presenter and commentator Gaurav Kapoor.

The three-hour long event will be accompanied with a buffet dinner and will be followed by an exclusive meet and greet with the two hugely popular cricketers along with a photo session where fans will get a chance to get up close and personal with the stars.

Known for his uncomplicated approach to batting, Sehwag carved an international career as an opening batsman by flaying bowlers to all parts of the ground. In a 12-year long spell in the Indian national team, Sehwag registered 22 and 15 tons in Test and ODI cricket respectively. He holds the record for the most double tons in Tests by an Indian batsman along while notching up two triple-hundreds.

The former opener is as equally uncomplicated off the pitch as he is on it, and is known to speak his mind.

The former rivals will go head to head in a different battle this time.

Pitted against him will be Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar, a man who has broken the 100 mph barrier not once, but twice. Fondly known as the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ for his devastating pace, he never strayed too far from the headlines over the course of his 14-year long career for India’s arch-rivals.

His battles with India’s batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar had enthralled fans of both nations and indeed the cricket fraternity as a whole. The moment that best described Akhtar was his lethal spell in front of a packed house at the Eden Gardens when he clean-bowled Tendulkar for a golden duck after rattling the stumps of Rahul Dravid.

Hosted by Colors Live, the live events division of Indiacast, the conclave is the first of its kind.

“Colors Cricket Conclave is our first event for 2018 and we’re very excited to introduce this unique cricket concept which will host two sides to the cricket story – a world-renowned batsman and a legendary bowler from two rival countries.

“We have received great support and appreciation from our South Asian audiences as they unite at our on-ground events in the Middle East. Fans can expect more fantastic live event experiences in the next few months which will be innovative and exciting for the market,” business head for Colors Cricket Sachin Gokhale said.

General fans can get in touch with Colors Live for tickets to the event.

WHAT: Colors Live Cricket Conclave

WHEN: 22nd March, Doors open at 7 pm

WHERE: Le Meridien Hotel, Garhoud – Dubai

CONTACT: nidhi.riat@indiacast.com