Yuvraj Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur honoured with stadium stands at Mullanpur ahead of the second T20I between India and South Africa
India won the toss and chose to bowl first against South Africa
Yuvraj reunited with Gautam Gambhir, recalling World Cup triumphs
The India vs South Africa 2nd T20I got off to a festive start as cricket legends Yuvraj Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur were honoured on Thursday, with stands at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, named after them ahead of the match.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann presided over the ceremony, celebrating the two stars before Suryakumar Yadav’s Men in Blue faced Aiden Markram’s side.
Harmanpreet Kaur was joined by her Women’s World Cup teammates Harleen Deol and Amanjot Kaur, along with India’s fielding coach Munish Bali. Newly appointed BCCI president Mithun Manhas also attended.
The occasion was historic, as Mullanpur hosted its first men’s international cricket match. Harmanpreet’s recent exploits in India’s maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup triumph last month added to the celebration, with her leadership helping India recover after three consecutive losses in the tournament.
Yuvraj Singh Reunites With Gautam Gambhir
Yuvraj Singh shared a nostalgic moment with India head coach Gautam Gambhir, recalling their contributions to some of India’s most memorable victories.
Both were key members of India’s inaugural Men’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2007 and the 2011 Men’s ODI World Cup team, where India defeated Sri Lanka in the final. Yuvraj had been named Player of the Tournament, while Gambhir had scored a crucial 97 before being dismissed by Thisara Perera.
India have started the T20I series in style, crushing South Africa by 101 runs in the opener at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Hardik Pandya’s brisk half-century set the foundation as the Men in Blue restricted South Africa to just 74. With nine more T20Is lined up before next year’s home T20 World Cup, India will look to continue their dominance.
India Vs South Africa, 2nd T20I: Toss Update And Playing XIs
India won the toss and opted to bowl first against South Africa.
South Africa (Playing XI): Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock(w), Aiden Markram(c), Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman
India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh
