Mumbai: Security tightened at Wankhede stadium following threat from unidentified person

MUMBAI: Mumbai Police ramped up security measures at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, following a threat from an unidentified individual, police said. The threat, posted on X (formerly Twitter), warned of a potential incident during the much-anticipated cricket match between India and New Zealand.

The anonymous post, which tagged Mumbai Police, included an image of a gun, hand grenades, and bullets, prompting authorities to maintain strict vigilance in and around the stadium.

"An unidentified person posted a threat message to Mumbai Police on X (formerly Twitter) that a nefarious incident would be executed during the India vs New Zealand match at Wankhede Stadium today. Strict vigilance is being done in the area around the stadium and nearby areas. The person had tagged Mumbai Police on his post and shown a gun, hand grenades and bullets in a photo," a Mumbai Police official said.

The semi-final match is a highly anticipated event. India will take on New Zealand in the first semifinal of the ICC Cricket World Cup at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Wednesday.

While the Kiwis will be aiming to reach their third successive World Cup final after 2015 and 2019, India will be looking forward to overcoming the knockout hurdle that has not let them win a major ICC title since 2013, and that too against a team that has given them the most trouble in must-win matches.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Prasidh Krishna, and Suryakumar Yadav.

New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (c), Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitch Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, and Will Young.