President and Indian star kicks off India-Maldives Friendship Cricket Series

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Vice President Faisal Naseem were part of a Maldivian team that played against an Air India team featuring Indian cricket stars on Friday.

Two friendly matches at the Ekuveni sports grounds in Malé marked the beginning of an annual India-Maldives Friendship Cricket Series, organised jointly by the sports ministry, the Indian embassy and the Maldives Cricket Board.

Indian international cricketer Yuvraj Singh was part of the Air India team. The local team captained by President Solih included veterans and government officials.

“I am very pleased that cricket was chosen to strengthen the friendship between the two countries,” Yuvraj Singh told the press at the Velana International Aiprort when he arrived on Thursday.

Singh, who was part of the Indian team that won the Cricket World Cup in 2011, was joined by other Indian Premier League players and former national team player Nikhil Chopra.

Chopra told reporters that he would like to see “a strong Maldivian cricket team” and advised “hard work” to develop the sport in the country.

The Air India team won the morning match against the Maldives national team by eight wickets. The Indian team won the afternoon match, which pitted Yuvraj Singh against a batting partnership of the president and vice president, by six wickets.