241 passengers and crew lost their lives in Ahmedabad plane crash.
Before the game started, the Indian team, which is participating in an intra-squad match in Beckenham, also paid their respects to the victims by donning black armbands. Also, the South African and Australian teams, engaged in the WTC 2025 final at Lord’s observed a minute’s silence for the same.
Shortly after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on Thursday afternoon, Air India Flight AI171, which was traveling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed close to the Megh Nagar neighborhood of Ahmedabad.
There were 12 crew members and 230 passengers on board the aircraft, totaling 242. They included seven Portuguese nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and 169 Indians. Sportsmen like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were among those who lamented the incident on Thursday.
The players and the support staff were seen observing a minute of silence and wearing black armbands to remember the victims.
"The players and members of the 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 the affected families," read the statement from BCCI.
Before Day 3 began on Friday, June 13, players from South Africa and Australia paid their condolences to the victims of the Air India accident in Ahmedabad. Black armbands are being worn by both groups of players in remembrance of those killed in Friday's devastating airline disaster.
The players and the crowd at the iconic Lord's cricket ground observed a one-minute silence to remember the victims before play got underway on Friday.