Freedom Trophy (cricket)

Last updated

Freedom Trophy
Freedom Trophy.png
CountriesFlag of India.svg  India
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Administrator BCCI and CSA
Format Test cricket
First edition 2015–16 (India)
Latest edition 2021–22 (South Africa)
Next edition 2023–24 (South Africa)
Tournament formatTest Series
Number of teams2
Current trophy holderFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
Most successfulFlag of India.svg  India
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
(2 series wins each)
Most runs Flag of India.svg Virat Kohli (964 runs) [1]
Most wickets Flag of India.svg Ravichandran Ashwin
(56 wickets) [2]
Cricket current event.svg 2021–22 Freedom Trophy

The Freedom Trophy (also known as Gandhi-Mandela trophy) is a cricket trophy that is awarded to the winner of Test series, known as The Freedom Series, [3] between India and South Africa. First awarded in 2015, the trophy is dedicated to famous Indian and South African freedom fighters Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela respectively.

Contents

Background Test Series

Prior to the trophy's inception, India and South Africa had played eleven series, six in South Africa and five in India. The overall record was six South African victories, two Indian victories, and three drawn series. [4] [5]

SeasonHostTestsIndiaSouth AfricaDrawnResult
1992–93 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
4
0
1
3
South Africa
1996–97 Flag of India.svg  India
3
2
1
0
India
1996–97 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
3
0
2
1
South Africa
1999–2000 Flag of India.svg  India
2
0
2
0
South Africa
2001–02 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2
0
1
1
South Africa
2004–05 Flag of India.svg  India
2
1
0
1
India
2006–07 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
3
1
2
0
South Africa
2007–08 Flag of India.svg  India
3
1
1
1
Drawn
2009–10 Flag of India.svg  India
2
1
1
0
Drawn
2010–11 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
3
1
1
1
Drawn
2013–14 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa
2
0
1
1
South Africa
Total297139

In 2015 BCCI and CSA announced that all future bilateral tours of India and South Africa to be named as Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Bilateral series. The series is played in Test cricket format. The series is named after leaders of both countries to pay tribute to them for playing a major role in winning independence by nonviolence. This has also helped in gaining an "iconic and traditional status" to the series. [6]

The Test Series has been christened as the 'Freedom Trophy'. Freedom for which Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela sacrificed their lives and thereby allowed a nation to be born free from years of bondage and suppression. BCCI, on behalf of every citizen of our country, is able to pay tribute to these great leaders by naming the series after them, and appeals to each and every citizen of our country to imbibe their ideals and follow the path advised by them

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur

For the people of both our countries there is no greater duty than to uphold the ideals of both Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. As cricket-loving people we must fight hard to win on the field of play but never forget to do battle in the spirit of these two great men.

CSA chief executive, Haroon Lorgat

List of The Freedom Series

Freedom Trophy (cricket)
SeasonHostFirst MatchTestsIndiaSouth AfricaDrawnResultHolderPlayer of the series
2015–16 Flag of India.svg  India 5 November 2015
4
3
0
1
IndiaIndia Flag of India.svg Ravichandran Ashwin
2017–18 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 5 January 2018
3
1
2
0
South AfricaSouth Africa Flag of South Africa.svg Vernon Philander
2019–20 Flag of India.svg  India 2 October 2019
3
3
0
0
IndiaIndia Flag of India.svg Rohit Sharma
2021–22 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 26 December 2021
3
1
2
0
South AfricaSouth Africa Flag of South Africa.svg Keegan Petersen
2023–24 Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa 26 December 2023
2
1
1
0
DrawnSouth Africa Flag of India.svg Jasprit Bumrah
Flag of South Africa.svg Dean Elgar

Summary of results

PlayedWon by
India
Won by
South Africa
Drawn
Tests in India76 (0 (1 (
Tests in South Africa83 (5 (0 (
All Tests159 (5 (1 (
Series in India22 (0 (0 (
Series in South Africa30 (2 (1 (
All series52 (2 (1 (
As of 4 January 2023 [7]

Match venues

In India
StadiumFirst TestLast TestPlayedFlag of India.svg  India winsDraws*Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa winsRef
Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali 2015-16 2015-16 1100 [8]
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore 2015-16 2015-16 1010 [9]
Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur 2015-16 2015-16 1100 [10]
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi 2015-16 2015-16 1100 [11]
Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Vishakhapatnam 2019-20 2019-20 1100 [12]
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune 2019-20 2019-20 1100 [13]
JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi 2019-20 2019-20 1100 [14]
In South Africa
StadiumFirst TestLast TestPlayedFlag of South Africa.svg  South Africa winsDraws*Flag of India.svg  India winsRef
Newlands, Cape Town 2017-18 2023-24 3201 [15]
Centurion Park, Centurion 2017-18 2023-24 3201 [16]
New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg 2017-18 2021-22 2101 [17]

See also

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References

  1. "Most Runs in Freedom Trophy". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  2. "Most Wickets in Freedom Trophy". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. "BCCI-CSA title bilateral series - "The Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Series"". Cricket South Africa. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  4. India in South Africa
  5. South Africa in India
  6. "Gandhi-Mandela Series". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
  7. "Freedom trophy Result Summary" . Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  8. "Mohali Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  9. "M. Chinnaswamy Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  10. "New VCA Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  11. "Arun Jaitley Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  12. "Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  13. "Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  14. "JSCA International Stadium Complex". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  15. "Newlands Cricket Ground". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  16. "Centurion Park". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  17. "New Wanderers Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.