The third ODI between India and Australia in Ranchi is on its way and the Indian players can be seen wearing special Army caps as tributes to the armed forces of India. The players were presented with the cap by former Indian skipper MS Dhoni.
A few weeks earlier, the Indian Air Force were saluted by the Indian players after it bombed the terror camps at Balakot in Pakistan, in response to the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel. Team India are sporting the special army caps as the mark of tribute to the armed forces and the loss of lives in Pulwama terror attack.
#TeamIndia will be sporting camouflage caps today as mark of tribute to the loss of lives in Pulwama terror attack and the armed forces
And to encourage countrymen to donate to the National Defence Fund for taking care of the education of the dependents of the martyrs #JaiHind pic.twitter.com/fvFxHG20vi
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 8, 2019
Skipper Virat Kohli was seen wearing the special cap at the toss. After winning the toss and opting to field, Kohli said: “This is a special cap, it’s a tribute to the Armed forces.”
Team India will be donating their entire match fees from the third ODI to the families of the martyrs and Kohli also urged the countrymen to do the same. “We’re all donating our match fees of this game to the families of the martyrs. I urge everyone in the country to do the same and stick to the families of our armed forces,” Kohli told Murali Karthik at the toss.
BCCI also tweeted a video in which the commentators are also seen sporting the camouflage caps.
A look at the comm box as they sport the camouflage caps#TeamIndia #JaiHind ???? pic.twitter.com/saSmfnVJeC
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 8, 2019
BCCI took to Twitter and posted a photograph of MS Dhoni presenting the camouflage cap to team India skipper Virat Kohli. MS Dhoni came up with the idea by himself as per Harsha Bhogle.
So the Indian team will wear army camouflage style caps today in tribute to, and in solidarity with, the armed forces. Maybe in future, one cricket day will be dedicated to the armed forces. No surprise this is a Dhoni initiative.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 8, 2019
India lead the five-match ODI series 2-0 after winning the first two matches in Hyderabad and Nagpur and a win at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi will seal the series for the hosts.
