Ahead of the historic test match between Afghanistan and India, which began on Thursday, 14 June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his best wishes to both the teams. He said that it was a matter of “great pride” that Afghanistan chose to play their maiden Test against India.
The Afghanistan cricket team, who have been impressive in the shorter formats, made their Test debut at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.
PM Modi Hails Afghanistan’s Feat
In a statement, PM Modi hailed Afghanistan’s feat by saying that their cricketing achievement has come about in "challenging and difficult" circumstances.
This, he said, reflects the indomitable Afghan spirit to overcome all challenges and realise aspirations for a prosperous, stable, united and a peaceful nation.
Today, cricket is a unifying force for the people of Afghanistan. India takes pride in being shoulder-to-shoulder with Afghanistan in this journey. It is an honour for India to host the Afghan national team at home ground in Greater Noida and Dehradun.PM Narendra Modi
Sports Min Rajyavardhan Rathore to Watch Match Live
Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore and Afghanistan's Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah will be present at the venue and watch the match live.
Chief Executive of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah to Be the Chief Guest of the Match
Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistan CEO said, "It's a historical event for us. Afghan players have come long way in a short period of time. This is their first test match with the first test cricket team (India). Our team has shown talent and we are hopeful for their future."
The official cricket board of Afghanistan took to Twitter to post photos of the match.
Cricket Enthusiasts Wish Both Teams
From players to cricketing experts, Twitter was flooded with people expressing their excitement and best wishes to both the teams.
IPL Teams Show Their Support for #INDvAFG
Indian Premier League (IPL) teams too took to Twitter to shower their wishes to the teams and their franchise players who are be representing their national sides. Players like Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi have won hearts of millions of people in India through their performance in the IPL.
Loudest Cheers From Fans
The loudest cheer, however, came from both Afghanistan and Indian fans who were excited to witness the game live.
India has also been associated with the development of cricket in Afghanistan since 2001 when the latter joined the International Cricket Council.
Several Afghan cricket players received training and coaching from Indian coaches in their formative years.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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