Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian and West Indies cricket teams got a feel of Kerala’s cuisine and lazed around the premium wing and garden view rooms respectively at the Leela Raviz, Kovalam, on Tuesday. They enjoyed the array of Kerala, North Indian and continental lavish spread out prepared by Malayali executive chef, Sanjay Thomas.
Team India captain Virat Kohli wrote on the guest book inviting everyone to come to Kerala and experience the energy with which it has bounced back after the recent floods.
India and West Indies will play the fifth day and night one-day international at the Sports Hub at Karyavattom on Thursday.
The players got a traditional welcome at the hotel with thalapoli, panchavadyam, chendamelam and kathakali. A total of 86 rooms have been set apart for the two teams. West Indies team has been provided with 41 cottage rooms with garden view and the gymnasium in the main wing. Team India is put up at the premium wing which is like a hotel within the club wing, where a separate team meeting room has also been kept ready.
R. Srijith, director- sales and marketing, told DC that when middle order batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni entered the hotel, he rushed to the terrace buffet which had a lavish spread of seafood and fish varieties.
“Dhoni is very fond of Kerala cuisine. Captain Virat Kohli relished appam and fish molly before getting a feel of the Kerala ayurvedic spa. Since West Indies belongs to a tropical country with coconut palms, they are served coconut-based special varieties of Thai and continental dishes,” said Srijith.
Sanjay Thomas has come out with a special dish for the players, ‘Avaduthura Kizhi Njandu Perattu,’ with the fresh crabs caught from the Eve’s beach, Kovalam, and laced with a dash of coconut milk. He has procured fresh water fishes like pearlspot (karimeen) and milk fish (poomeen) from Ashtamudi lake, Kollam. Seer fish, lobster and prawns have been locally bought from Vizhinjam coast. The menu list was approved after Sanjay Thomas held several rounds of meetings with the officials of Board of Control for Cricket in India and the West Indies Cricket Board over the last two weeks.
Last year when Kohli and his team had come down to play the T20 match against New Zealand, the Leela Raviz Kovalam had come out with a special ‘Kohli prawns’ dish which was inculcated in the Raviz Keraleeyam menu in their Raviz Hotel, Kollam. The dessert menus includes different types of payasams ranging from ada, wheat, semiya and carrot halwa, gulab jamun, different varieties of pastries, cheese cakes and puddings.
Kohli wrote on the guest register, “being in Kerala is nothing short of bliss. I love coming here and love the energy of the whole place. The beauty of Kerala is something to be experienced and I would recommend everyone that they come here and experience the energy of God’s Own Country. Kerala is surely back to its feet and absolutely safe to come to. Thanks to this amazing place for making me feel happy every time I am here.”
The team will leave for practice session at the Sports Hub on Wednesday morning. Team India are playing an ODI in Thiruvananthapuram after a gap of 30 years and lead the five-match ODI series against West Indies 2-1.
