What Stands Were Inaugurated for Harmanpreet Kaur and Yuvraj Singh at the Second Men’s T20I?
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New Chandigarh, Dec 11 (NationPress) Stands dedicated to Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, and the legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh were officially opened before the second men’s T20I match against South Africa at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium this Thursday.
Siddhant Sharma, the acting Secretary of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), had earlier informed IANS about the initiative to commemorate Harmanpreet and Yuvraj by naming stands in their honor, with both icons present at the event.
The inauguration was officiated by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann alongside PCA President Amarjit Mehta, and included notable attendees such as BCCI President Mithun Manhas and Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria.
Recently, Harmanpreet made headlines by leading India to its first senior ICC trophy in women’s cricket, clinching the ODI World Cup title at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Yuvraj, on the other hand, was instrumental in India’s success in two World Cups—the first T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ODI World Cup in 2011. His legacy as one of the game’s finest match-winners in white-ball cricket is well-established. He also joined the Indian team huddle ahead of the second T20I to share insights with the Suryakumar Yadav-led squad.
Harmanpreet now stands as the third female cricketer from India to have a stand named after her, following the recognition of legends like Jhulan Goswami (at Eden Gardens, Kolkata) and Mithali Raj (at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam).
During the ceremony, cash awards totaling Rs 11 lakh were presented to Harmanpreet, Amanjot Kaur, and Harleen Deol, while the fielding coach of the victorious World Cup team, Munish Bali, received Rs 5 lakh.
This marks the first occasion that this stadium, which already features a stand named after former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, will host a men’s international match, following two India-Australia women’s ODIs held in September.
Adding excitement to the second T20I, three players from Punjab—vice-captain Shubman Gill, opener Abhishek Sharma, and fast bowler Arshdeep Singh—are included in India’s playing eleven.