IND vs SA 2025: CAB announces special coin honouring Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela for Eden Gardens Test

A special gold coin introduced by the Cricket Association of Bengal will be used at the toss for the first Test between India and South Africa. The all-format series will kickstart with the first Test in Kolkata, which will be followed by the second in Guwahati.

With Mahatma Gandhi on one side and Nelson Mandela on the other, the coin will symbolise the themes of peace, freedom and non-violence. CAB President and former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has said that the special coin will be used for the toss.

The India-South Africa Test series, the Freedom Trophy, was established to commemorate the legacy of Gandhi and Mandela. The silverware reflects the shared message of peace and humanity, which both the individuals would propagate.

Tickets for the first three days of the series-opening contest have been nearly sold out at the time of writing. CAB Treasurer Sanjay Das confirmed to ESPNcrcinfo that a total of 1.4 crore tickets have been sold overall.

The administrative body will also host the Jagmohan Dalmiya Memorial Lecture on November 13 ahead of the match. Cricketers from both teams will attend the event. Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar will deliver the opening speech. 

Speaking of the match, which is scheduled to commence on November 14 (Friday), it will be played amid beefed up security particularly after the high-intensity blast near the Red Fort in New Delhi recently. The CAB and Kolkata Police will be taking extra measures to ensure added safety for players and spectators.

India's last Test series at home was against West Indies, which they ended up winning convincingly by a 2-0 margin. The Proteas were recently involved in a 1-1 series draw during their all-format tour against Pakistan away from home.