Drogba to visit India for Pepsi T20 Football

Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba will visit India next month for the grand finale of Pepsi T20 Football event.

The final winning team will get a once in a lifetime opportunity to be coached by Drogba, before they face the Indian cricketing stars in a fast paced game of Pepsi T20 Football, a statement from the organisers said.

Drogba, who has been a Pepsi brand ambassador since 2009, played a leading role in Chelsea's Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich last week.

"To take the excitement around our grassroots initiative, Pepsi T20 Football to the next level, we are proud to bring one of the world's most exciting footballer, Didier Drogba to India," said Homi Battiwalla, Category Director -- Colas, Hydration and Mango Based Beverages, PepsiCo India.

"Over 448 teams have played the 20-minute knock-out matches over the last few weeks. The winning teams across cities are now gearing up for the national finale scheduled to take place on 17th June in New Delhi," he added.

Drogba's visit is part of Pepsi's first football campaign in the country that was launched by a fun and irreverent television commercial starring actor Ranbir Kapoor.

It was followed by a unique amateur initiative, Pepsi T20 Football, a revolutionary new format for youngsters, which combines the excitement and fun of T20 style of playing cricket with the speed, thrill and spirit of football.

Played in a unique metallic cage, the initiative is being organised in major Indian cities including Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, Lucknow, Ludhiana and Delhi, with phenomenal response.

A total of eight teams, including one winning team from each city and one wild card entry will compete to emerge as 'Game Changers'.

They will then get the opportunity to be coached by Didier Drogba before they face the Indian Cricket Stars for a game of Pepsi T20 Football at the Grand Finale.