The Indian team, led by stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana is hosting Ireland, led by skipper Gaby Lewis, for the first time in a three-match bilateral ODI series from 10th to 15th January 2025. India has bagged the ODI series by winning the first couple of games at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.
While the cricketing action continues on the field, it’s also the “Festival of Kites,” known as “Makar Sankranti”. The festival also has different names across the various parts of the country. In Rajkot and other parts of Gujarat, the festival is also known as “Uttarayan”. It is a widely celebrated and much-awaited festival in the country, celebrated over 2-3 days.
The festival also marks the celebration of the change in weather, transitioning from Winter to Summer. The sky is filled with a wide range of kites, with people on the rooftops, and roads. Major kite-flying centres are set up in various parts of Gujarat where people gather to celebrate the festival.
In a video clip released by BCCI Women, from the Indian camp, the likes of Deepti Sharma, Pratika Rawal, Priya Mishra, Saima Thakor and skipper Smriti Mandhana were seen flying the kites. For visitors Ireland this was a kind of a new experience, one in which most of them were seen as excited, as they were trying to learn. They were rejoicing and getting along nicely in the festive atmosphere.
The visitors Ireland along with the Indian team gelled up together to experience the beauty of the festival on the eve of the 3rd and final ODI of the three-match series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on 15th January 2025 (Wednesday).
