Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates and the official front-of-jersey sponsor of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), is bringing the excitement of cricket to the streets of Chennai through a series of fan-focused activations celebrating the city’s unmatched passion for the game.

Taking place across key locations in Chennai from 16 to 18 May, the activations are designed to bring the energy of match weekend beyond the stadium and directly to fans through immersive experiences, giveaways and rewards linked to Etihad Guest, Etihad Airways’ loyalty programme.

As part of the celebrations, Etihad Airways will launch two key city-wide experiences - ‘The Golden Rickshaws’ and ‘Wickets of the World’ - that showcase and celebrate the airline’s growing global network.

‘The Golden Rickshaws’ will see a fleet of specially branded auto-rickshaws in the CSK blue and yellow and Etihad’s iconic gold colours, offering fans complimentary rides across Chennai. Fans can unlock free rides by signing up for Etihad Guest through a QR code. On match day, the rickshaws will exclusively transport fans to and from the stadium, with passengers also receiving exclusive merchandise and giveaways, the airline said.

Complementing the city-wide rides, ‘Wickets of the World’ will bring a street-style cricket experience to Chennai, featuring destination-inspired themes to celebrate the wide range of exciting destinations in Etihad’s global network. Fans will have the opportunity to participate in interactive cricket challenges themed around bucket-list destinations like New York, Charlotte, Nice and Prague, to win exciting prizes.

Mark Potter, Managing Director, Etihad Guest, said, “India continues to be one of Etihad’s most important markets, and cricket remains a powerful way to connect with communities and travellers across the country. Through these activations, we wanted to create experiences that bring fans closer to the excitement of the game while inspiring them to fly to Etihad’s growing network of destinations and introducing fans to the world of Etihad Guest in an engaging and rewarding way. Chennai’s incredible passion for cricket makes it the perfect city for these celebrations.”

With flights from Chennai and 10 major cities across India, Etihad connects travellers conveniently to Abu Dhabi, and onwards throughout the Middle East, Europe, Africa and North America. Throughout the celebrations, Etihad will highlight its summer destinations from new hotspots like Palma de Mallorca and Krakow, to familiar favourites like Mykonos, Santorini and Nice.

To celebrate the special weekend, Chennai travellers can use special discount code EYCSK10 to unlock up to 10 per cent discount on flights to 22 destinations across Europe and North America, for travel between 25 May and October 31, the airline said.

The campaign will be amplified throughout the city, creating excitement before, during and after the match weekend. Through these activations, Etihad Airways aims to celebrate the spirit of cricket and community while creating memorable experiences for fans across Chennai.

Published on May 16, 2026