As India played South Africa in the second Twenty20 International of their five-match series on Thursday, two new stands were unveiled at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. The stands have the names of Yuvraj Singh, the 2011 World Cup champion, and Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the 2025 Women's World Cup team.
Amanjot Singh and Harleen Deol were there with Harmanpreet, and they each received Rs 11 lakh in cash incentives. Mithun Manhas, the recently appointed BCCI chief, was also present. Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, also congratulated Yuvraj during the unveiling. The players were clearly thrilled to see the former Indian cricketer in the team huddle with Suryakumar Yadav and company prior to the toss. In the meanwhile, India chose to field after winning the toss.
During India's 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 World Cup title campaigns, Yuvraj and Gambhir were teammates. The two also gave each other a hearty hug, demonstrating their friendliness and camaraderie. Yuvraj made history in the 2011 World Cup by being the first player to grab five wickets and score fifty in the same match. He scored 362 runs at an average of 90.50 over eight innings in nine games during the competition. During the competition, he claimed 15 wickets at an economy rate of 5.02. He is also a native of Chandigarh.
He played for the Punjab state squad his whole domestic career. He played 139 games for Punjab in First Class cricket, amassing 8,965 runs at an average of 44.16. He has scored 36 half-centuries and 26 tons for Punjab. For his home team, he also claimed 41 wickets. He has played for the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League twice.
Harmanpreet's father was a former athlete, and she was born in Punjab. When she enrolled in the Gian Jyoti School Academy, her passion for cricket increased. She is playing for Punjab in domestic cricket for the second time and is the Mumbai Indians' skipper in the WPL.
The New Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, also called the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, was constructed for about Rs 230 crore. It bears the name of Yadavindra Singh, the ninth and final Maharaja of Patiala and has been the home ground for IPL team Punjab Kings since 2024. It has a stand named after Harbhajan Singh in addition to Harmanpreet and Yuvraj.
The stadium is hosting its inaugural men's international cricket match and is renowned for its herringbone drainage system, which enables water evacuation within 25 to 30 minutes of rain, and it can hold 38,000 spectators. Additionally, the stadium's field is stabilized with sand rather than traditional dirt. In addition, it has a fully furnished gymnasium, a media center, and two international-standard dressing rooms with steam, sauna, and ice bath services.
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