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.
 | |
| Countries |  India South Africa |
|---|---|
| Administrator | BCCI and CSA |
| Format | Test cricket |
| First edition | 2015–16 (India) |
| Latest edition | 2023-24 (South Africa) |
| Next edition | 2025(India) |
| Tournament format | Test Series |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Current trophy holder | South Africa |
| Most successful | India South Africa (2 series wins each) |
| Qualification | ICC World Test Championship |
| Most runs | Virat Kohli (1136 runs)[1] |
| Most wickets | Ravichandran Ashwin (57 wickets)[2] |
Background Test Series
editPrior 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]
| Season | Host | Tests | India | South Africa | Drawn | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | South Africa
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
South Africa |
| 1996–97 | India
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
India |
| 1996–97 | South Africa
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
South Africa |
| 1999–2000 | India
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
South Africa |
| 2001–02 | South Africa
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
South Africa |
| 2004–05 | India
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
India |
| 2006–07 | South Africa
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
South Africa |
| 2007–08 | India
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Drawn |
| 2009–10 | India
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
Drawn |
| 2010–11 | South Africa
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Drawn |
| 2013–14 | South Africa
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
South Africa |
| Total | 29 | 7 | 13 | 9 |
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
edit |
| Season | Host | First Match | Tests | India | South Africa | Drawn | Result | Holder | Player of the series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | India
|
5 November 2015 | 4
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
India | India | Ravichandran Ashwin
|
| 2017–18 | South Africa
|
5 January 2018 | 3
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
South Africa | South Africa | Vernon Philander
|
| 2019–20 | India
|
2 October 2019 | 3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
India | India | Rohit Sharma
|
| 2021–22 | South Africa
|
26 December 2021 | 3
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
South Africa | South Africa | Keegan Petersen
|
| 2023–24 | South Africa
|
26 December 2023 | 2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
Drawn | South Africa | Jasprit Bumrah Dean Elgar
|
Summary of results
edit| Played | Won by India |
Won by South Africa |
Drawn | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests in India | 7 | 6 (85.7%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (14.3%) |
| Tests in South Africa | 8 | 3 (37.5%) | 5 (62.5%) | 0 (0%) |
| All Tests | 15 | 9 (60%) | 5 (33.3%) | 1 (6.7%) |
| Series in India | 2 | 2 (100%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Series in South Africa | 3 | 0 (0%) | 2 (66.7%) | 1 (33.3%) |
| All series | 5 | 2 (40%) | 2 (40%) | 1 (20%) |
| As of 4 January 2023[7] | ||||
Match venues
edit| In India | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | First Test | Last Test | Played | India wins
|
Draws* | South Africa wins
|
Ref | ||||||
| Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 2015-16 | 2015-16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | [8] | ||||||
| M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore | 2015-16 | 2015-16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | [9] | ||||||
| Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur | 2015-16 | 2015-16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | [10] | ||||||
| Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 2015-16 | 2015-16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | [11] | ||||||
| Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium, Vishakhapatnam | 2019-20 | 2019-20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | [12] | ||||||
| Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune | 2019-20 | 2019-20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | [13] | ||||||
| JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi | 2019-20 | 2019-20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | [14] | ||||||
| In South Africa | |||||||||||||
| Stadium | First Test | Last Test | Played | South Africa wins
|
Draws* | India wins
|
Ref | ||||||
| Newlands, Cape Town | 2017-18 | 2023-24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | [15] | ||||||
| Centurion Park, Centurion | 2017-18 | 2023-24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | [16] | ||||||
| New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | 2017-18 | 2021-22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | [17] | ||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Most Runs in Freedom Trophy". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "Most Wickets in Freedom Trophy". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ "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.
- ^ India in South Africa
- ^ South Africa in India
- ^ "Gandhi-Mandela Series". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ^ "Freedom trophy Result Summary". Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Mohali Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "M. Chinnaswamy Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "New VCA Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Arun Jaitley Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "JSCA International Stadium Complex". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Newlands Cricket Ground". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "Centurion Park". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ "New Wanderers Stadium". ESPNcricinfo. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.