Friendship Cup a celebration of cricket, reflects strong India-Afghanistan bond: DDCA chief Jaitley

New Delhi: Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley hailed the successful conduct of 'The Friendship Cup' between India and Afghanistan in the national capital by lauding the massive turnout of fans and describing the series as a testament to cricket's role in strengthening ties between the two nations.

India clinched a 3-0 series win at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, which was Afghanistan's home venue for a week. India got twin seven-wicket victories, before sealing a thumping 127-run win on Thursday night.

"Congratulations to Team India on a memorable 3-0 series victory against Afghanistan. 'The Friendship Cup' has been a wonderful celebration of cricket.

“It was heartening to see fans come out in such huge numbers (85000-plus) across all three matches at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with thousands also travelling from Afghanistan to be part of the occasion. The incredible atmosphere throughout the series reflected the passion for cricket in Delhi," Jaitley said in a statement at the conclusion of the series.

The opening match on Sunday drew 25,165 spectators, while 24,259 fans attended the second game on Tuesday. The third and final match saw a crowd of 26,230.

Jaitley added that Afghanistan's decision to stage its home series against India in New Delhi underlined the close relationship between the two neighbours and credited the cricket bodies involved for making it happen.

"With Afghanistan playing its home series against India in Delhi, the occasion was also a great reflection of the strong bond between the two countries and the power of sport to bring people closer, in line with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of stronger ties with our neighbours.

“We are grateful to the Afghanistan Cricket Board, the BCCI and ICC Chairman Jay Shah for their support and efforts in making this series possible and enabling Delhi to be part of this memorable chapter of international cricket.

"We are proud that the DDCA and Delhi could play a part in hosting three exciting encounters between India and Afghanistan, giving fans the opportunity to witness some really quality cricket from both teams," he added.

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