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Why Are India Women And England Women Players Wearing Black Armbands In 1st T20I?

Abhinav Tyagi

Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana - (Source : @BCCIWomen/X.com)Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana - (Source : @BCCIWomen/X.com)

In the first T20I between India women and England women at Trent Bridge, the hosts won the toss and opted to field first. The visitors were without regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who missed the match due to a head injury.

In Kaur’s absence, Smriti Mandhana walked out for the toss, while Nat Sciver-Brunt represented England. Both captains, alongside the rest of their squads, were spotted wearing black armbands.

Both teams paid tribute to victims of Ahmedabad plane crash and also observed a moment of silence before starting the play. 

India And England Players Pay Tribute To Air Crash Victims

England women later took to social media to explain that both teams were wearing black armbands as a tribute to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash, who lost their lives in a tragic incident on June 12, 2025.

“Both England Women and India Women are wearing black armbands today as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives in the Air India plane crash. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the terrible events that took place in Ahmedabad,” posted England Women’s Twitter account.

A Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, en route to London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of many, including 169 Indian nationals and 53 British citizens 

India Women Also Pay Tribute to Dilip Doshi During Training

Several unfortunate incidents have occurred in recent days, including the Ahmedabad crash and the passing of David ‘Syd’ Lawrence and Dilip Doshi. During their time in England, the India women’s team observed a minute’s silence ahead of their warm-up match against the ECB Select XI and also wore black armbands in memory of Dilip Doshi.

Doshi made his Test debut for India at the age of 32 in 1979 and represented India in 33 Tests and 15 One-Day Internationals between 1979 and 1983.