As India take on New Zealand in the first semifinal of the World Cup at the Old Trafford on Tuesday, fans across the country are excited, especially in Ranchi -- the town where Mahendra Singh Dhoni was born and brought up.

The students at the Jawahar Vidya Mandir (JVM), from where Dhoni did his schooling, are eager to watch the local hero and former India skipper bat in the semifinal.

"We have made all the preparations to watch the semifinal between India and New Zealand. Our friends will gather at my house to watch the match. We are looking forward to see Dhoni bat," said Saurabh Kumar, a student of Calss IX at the JVM, which is located at Mecon Colony in Shyamali.

Echoing his views, Kawaljeet Singh, a student of Class VIII at the school, said, "We hope Dhoni and Virat (Kohli) will cast their magic to bring the Cup home for a third time. I am a big fan of Virat, but after Mahi."

However, the hotels in the city have made no special arrangements for the match due to a notice slapped by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

"The BCCI had served us a notice for showing matches on the big screen. So we have made no special arrangements for the match," a source in Radisson Blue Hotel told IANS.