Actor Aftab Shivdasani, who is currently in England, could manage to go to the Ageas Bowl stadium in Southampton for the World Test Championship match between India and New Zealand. Talking about his experience of the rain-marred event, Shivdasani says despite the weather playing spoilsport, he enjoyed it.

“It was amazing! It was almost surreal going to the stadium after a year and half of being locked down at home — from not moving out at all to suddenly going out to enjoy a sport that we all love so much. Obviously, the stadium was not packed because of the cap of 4,000 people for an outdoor event in England,” he shares.

An avid cricket fan, Shivdasani says he had almost forgotten how the whole stadium experience felt. “It just goes to show how much we take our freedom for granted. It was just unreal to be there and support our country,” he adds.

While he did visit the stadium, the actor says he didn’t meet any players. “The players, their families and the staff are all in a bio bubble. So, that was not possible. I also have a 10-month-old daughter at home, and it is not worth taking the risk of meeting too many people,” he explains.

Noting how all Coronavirus precautions were maintained inside the stadium, he mentions that even the fans were very cautious and following social distancing at all times. And the staff at the stadium was ensuring that.

While things are almost back to normal, Shivdasani says there is still a threat looming — the Delta variant of Covid-19. “The situation is better in the United Kingdom. Everything is expected to open by July 19, but there are still talks about delaying it. It depends upon the variant of the virus that they are very concerned about — the Delta variant. Most of the cases reported here are of the Delta variant. That’s a cause for concern here,” he concludes.