NEW DELHI: Ahead of the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram, members of the Indian cricket team paid a visit to the iconic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple to offer prayers.

Soon after arriving in the city, the players changed into traditional attire and headed to the temple, where captain Suryakumar Yadav, vice-captain Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, fielding coach T Dilip and several support staff were in attendance.

The visit drew attention from devotees and fans, with temple authorities welcoming the team and posing for photographs with the players.

Given the presence of the Indian team, security arrangements were tightened around the temple complex, with police personnel deployed to ensure a smooth visit.

The final T20I is expected to witness a packed stadium, with home fans eager to rally behind Sanju Samson and the Indian side as the series comes to a close.

India have already sealed the series by winning the first three matches and will be keen to sign off with another victory before turning their focus to the home T20 World Cup, which begins on 7 February.