Watch: In Lionel Messi's City Miami, Indian Cricket Team Stars Look Forward To Punjabi Relatives, Shopping

After spending nearly a month in the Caribbean islands, the Indian cricket team is currently in the USA where it will play two T20Is against West Indies. They are soaking up the bright sunshine in Miami. Incidentally, it is the same city where legendary footballer Lionel Messi is currently playing for Major League Soccer (MLS) club Lionel Messi. Ahead of the fourth T20I against West Indies, some of India's star cricketers present on the tour talked about the first thing that popped into their minds when they hear the name of the United States of America (USA). India will take on West Indies in the fourth T20I in Florida, US on Saturday. India made a comeback in the last match, winning it by seven wickets to keep the series alive with the scoreline at 2-1. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) posted a video on their Twitter in which players talked about the words and ideas they associate with the USA. 

As the #WIvIND T20I series action shifts to USA starting today

We asked #TeamIndia members about the first thing that comes to their mind when they hear USA pic.twitter.com/thzlCevY3T

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 12, 2023

Hardik Pandya associated the word dream with the USA, a place millions of people all over the world dream of coming to and living the 'American Dream' by attaining success and money in the country, irrespective of their class, religion, gender, caste etc. 

"US? I think a lot of people's dream," said Pandya. 

The things/ideas that strike pacer Arshdeep Singh's mind are "Miami, Shopping."

"Gujarati," said Axar Patel as he was asked what pops into his mind first when he hears the name USA. 

"I think the lifestyle...," said the young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal. 

USA reminds spinner Yuzvendra Chahal of the action-adventure video game series, Grand Theft Auto (GTA). A lot of games of the GTA series are based in fictional cities in the USA. 

"GTA. I play GTA so that is what comes into my mind," he said. 

Kuldeep Yadav, the spinner said that he is reminded of Lionel Messi when he hears the word USA. 

"Wherever he will go, his fans will follow. I am one of them, a lot of players in the team are his fans," he added.

Messi recently made a move to the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, which is a football league in the USA. 

Star batter Suryakumar Yadav is reminded of "Ice cream and my favourite, cheesecake," when he hears the word USA. "Cannot eat it now though," quipped Surya. 

The first thing that pops into Ishan Kishan's mind on hearing the word the USA is "humidity, heat". "I want to stay away from them," he remarked. 

Batter Shubman Gill is reminded of his relatives when he hears the word USA. "I am a Punjabi, a lot of my relatives are here. So this is the first thing that comes into my mind," he said. 

Avesh Khan also reminisced on winning his first Man of the Match award in the USA last year.  "My first MOTM was here last year on this ground," he said, having won the award for taking 2/17 against West Indies last year at the same venue. 

With ANI inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

Arshdeep Singh Suryakumar Yadav Shubman Gill India Cricket Team West Indies Cricket Team West Indies vs India, 2023 Kuldeep Yadav Tilak Varma Cricket