Indian cricketers wear black armbands in emotional tribute to Ahmedabad plane crash victims

All the India National Cricket Team players were seen wearing black armbands during the intra-squad match on Friday, June 13, 2025.

Team India are taking on India A in the intra-squad match at the Kent County Cricket Ground in Beckenham. It is a four-day match that will help the Indian players prepare well for the five-match Test series against the England National Cricket Team.

A minute's silence was also observed today - Board of Control for Cricket in India

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took to their social media handles to reveal that the players are wearing the black armbands to pay homage to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash, which is regarded as one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India’s history.

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Also, the BCCI revealed that a minute's silence was also observed before the match as a mark of respect for the lives lost.

"The players and members of support staff involved in the intra-squad game in Beckenham are wearing black armbands," the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wrote.

"A minute's silence was also observed today to pay homage to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash, as a mark of respect for the lives lost and solidarity with the affected families," the BCCI added.

The players and members of support staff involved in the intra-squad game in Beckenham are wearing black armbands.

A minute's silence was also observed today to pay homage to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash, as a mark of respect for the lives lost and solidarity with… pic.twitter.com/u364pNdGyu

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 13, 2025

241 people died in the Ahmedabad plane crash

On June 12, an unfortunate incident happened in Ahmedabad that shocked the entire world. An Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner (flight AI-171), bound for London, crashed into a residential area housing doctors and medical students from BJ Medical College.

The plane crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, and the incident resulted in a massive explosion and fire.

A total of 242 people, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members, were sitting inside the aircraft. Among those, 169 were Indians, 53 were British nationals, 7 were Portuguese, and 1 person was Canadian.

The horrible plane crash took away the lives of 241 people, and only one passenger, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, a British-Indian national seated in 11A, miraculously survived. Now the investigation has started to find the cause of the crash, and the black box has been recovered.

Gautam Gambhir flies back to India

In another unfortunate news, the India National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir has been forced to return home from England due to a family medical emergency.

On June 11, Gautam Gambhir left England and is currently in New Delhi to attend to his ailing mother, who suffered a heart attack a couple of days ago.

Reportedly, Gambhir's mother is in the ICU, and as per Cricbuzz, doctors are encouraged by her condition and are giving hope of a potential early recovery. Gambhir is likely to travel back to England on June 17 and join the Indian Test squad ahead of the commencement of the series on June 20.

Meanwhile, the legendary off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has urged the fans and experts not to be harsh on the Indian Test team if they fail in England. He said (as quoted by IANS):

“Just because they don't win right away doesn't mean we start criticising them. The team needs support right now. They're going through a transitional phase — a new team, a new era — and I hope it turns out to be a successful one for Indian cricket.”

Also Read: Huge blow for India: Gautam Gambhir rushes back home from England due to emergency