We’re knee-deep in the midst of a hot Indian Premier League tournament. Forty games in, a mere couple of points separate the top three sides, highlighting the spicy nature of the T20 competition.
Whether you take Jonny Bairstow’s rip-roaring 114 runs in 56 deliveries against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Alzarri Joseph’s bowling masterclass as he demolished the Sunrisers Hyderdbad’s batting line-up with six wickets in under four overs, or Kieron Pollard’s stunning single-handed catch to take out CSK’s Suresh Raina – there’s no shortage of red-hot action moments this IPL season.
If you enjoy a heated cricketing contest, you’ll want to have something equally sizzling to munch on while you watch – and Pizza Hut’s three spicy new pizzas have you covered. Here’s a guide to which pizza is best served at different stages of a T20 game.
The warm up: Mexicana Chicken
The exciting thing about the IPL – and all T20 cricket – is that every action matters. As Phil Simmons, Head Coach of the West Indies T20 World Cup-winning team, told ESPN, “In test matches you assess by sessions; in one-day cricket you assess by overs; and in T20 cricket you assess by balls. Every ball is an event.”
Every bite should be an event too, but you want to warm your mouth (and stomach) up with something tasty but not mouth-melting.
This makes the new Mexicana Chicken an ideal starter pizza to take you through the early stages of an innings. With its chilli-infused base, sour cream and strips of bell pepper, the Mexicana Chicken promises to get your taste buds tingling from the very first bite – and the first ball.
We’re halfway there: Red Pepper Chicken
After the final ball of the first innings, the teams take a break. It’s the perfect opportunity to start teasing your taste buds with some slightly hotter stuff. As captain Ravichandran Ashwin delivers instructions to the King XI Punjab squad, you can open pizza box number two: Red Pepper Chicken.
If you like your spice but don’t want to feel an excessive burn, the Red Pepper Chicken pizza promises a reasonable – but not overpowering – degree of heat in every bite, thanks to its fantastic fiery drizzle. It’s a perfect match for this phase of a game, where the preceding 90 minutes has set up the final stage – but the second act will decide how things pan out.
Sizzling strips of red bell pepper, jalapeno pieces and chunks of delicious chicken will expand your spice boundaries, even as you watch the fours and sixes begin to pile up.
The fiery finish: Spicy Tandoori Paneer
You’ve worked your way up to this point, two hours into the game. It’s time to bring the heat, which is something David Warner will be doing for his Hyderabad Sunrisers as he smashes shot after shot into the stands and even out of the stadium.
It’s time to hit your taste buds for a six.
Enter the endgame with the Spicy Tandoori Paneer. This vegetarian option is the hottest of Pizza Hut’s new selection, thanks to the liberal helpings of finely diced green and red chillies baked into it. Cubes of cottage cheese offer a delectable mouthfeel in tandem with the spices and mozzarella.
Whether you’re a sultan of spice, intermediate chilli-ingester or prefer things just a little warm, visit Pizzahut.ae to order some goodness just in time for the game.
