Freedom Trophy (cricket)

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.

Freedom Trophy
Countries India
 South Africa
AdministratorBCCI and CSA
FormatTest cricket
First edition2015–16 (India)
Latest edition2023-24 (South Africa)
Next edition2025(India)
Tournament formatTest Series
Number of teams2
Current trophy holder South Africa
Most successful India
 South Africa
(2 series wins each)
QualificationICC World Test Championship
Most runsIndia Virat Kohli (1136 runs)[1]
Most wicketsIndia Ravichandran Ashwin
(57 wickets)[2]

Background Test Series

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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]

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

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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

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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

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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

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References

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  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.
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