Why are the players wearing black armbands in the opening India vs England Test?

India and England players paid their respects to the victims of the horrific airplane crash in Ahmedabad. An Air India flight, bound for London, crashed minutes after takeoff in Ahmedabad on the unfortunate day of June 12. Over 240 casualties were reported, with the number surging as the plane crashed onto a hostel in the city. The Air India plane crash jolted not just India but the whole world. Now, as the opening Test of the India vs England series takes off at Leeds in Headingley, the players offered a moment of condolence to mourn the loss of lives.

The Indian Cricket Team and the England Cricket Team observed a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash ahead of the start of play on Day 1 of the first Test at Headingley, Leeds.

The teams are wearing the black armbands to express solidarity with… pic.twitter.com/Guxf1aO8iJ

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 20, 2025

The Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad put a solemn silence on the world for the sheer devastation caused. The Boeing 787 plane model crashed mere minutes after its takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport. With no time to prevent the catastrophic accident, the plane crashed onto a medical hostel, injuring students in the vicinity. The incident of June 12 sent shockwaves across the world. At the time, Australia and South Africa were playing the WTC Final at Lord's. The players observed a minute-long silence and sported black armbands to offer their condolences.

Moreover, Indian players, playing the intra-squad match in Beckenham at the time, also mourned the incident before starting the warm-up fixture at Kent. Now, over a week after the horrific plane crash, the five-match India vs England Test series kicked off at Leeds. However, the players from both sides observed a similar silence before the proceedings took off in the opening fixture.

Coming to the match, England won the toss in Headingley as Ben Stokes put the visitors to bat first under the shining sun. Shubman Gill introduced the India Playing XI, confirming the debut of Sai Sudharsan, who has claimed the third spot in the batting order. Harshit Rana sits out despite a late call-up to the squad for the first Test, as Prasidh Krishna joins the pace attack. Moreover, Shardul Thakur was named in the combination over Nitish Kumar Reddy in the pace all-rounder spot.

India Playing XI for the opening India vs England Test