Why are Indian players wearing black armbands during Day 1 of the IND vs ENG 1st Test?

The Indian and England cricket teams wore black armbands on Friday before the start of Day 1 of the first Test at Headingley, Leeds. This was done as a tribute to honour the people who lost their lives in the Air India plane crash last week in Ahmedabad. Before the national anthems, both teams also observed a minute of silence as a mark of respect.

An Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 241 people. Only one person survived. The flight had 242 passengers and crew on board. According to the official list, there were 169 Indians, 53 people from the UK, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian on the flight.

A perfectly observed minutes silence.

This morning we remember those lost in the tragic Air India crash last week. pic.twitter.com/mEDsQPqVmH

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 20, 2025

During the World Test Championship final, players from South Africa and Australia also paid their respects by wearing black armbands and observing a moment of silence.

Karun Nair Returns to India’s Test Squad After 8 Years

Sai Sudharsan, the rising star from Tamil Nadu, made his Test debut. He was handed his Test cap by Cheteshwar Pujara during a team huddle before the toss. England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bowl first.

Sai Sudharsan has become the 317th player to play Test cricket for India and is expected to bat at number 3. The left-hander got a lot of praise for his batting during the IPL 2025, where he scored the most runs — 759 in total. He also played County cricket for Surrey in 2023 and 2024 with an average of 35. In his last match for Surrey, he scored his first First-Class hundred in England while batting at number 6. Since his debut in 2022, the 23-year-old has made 1,957 runs in 29 First-Class matches with an average of 39.93.

Karun Nair is also back in the Test team after eight years. His last Test was in March 2017 against Australia in Dharamsala. He made a strong comeback by performing well in domestic cricket this season. Nair played a big role in Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy win scoring three centuries in the knockout matches, including one in the final against Kerala. The 33-year-old’s form helped him earn a place in the national team again.

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