BCCI to honor Pahalgam attack victims during SRH-MI clash
What's the story
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will pay tribute to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack during Match 41 of IPL 2025.
The game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians is scheduled for April 23 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
This tragic incident claimed the lives of 26 people, including two foreign nationals, and has deeply affected the nation.
Here are further details.
Tribute details
Players to wear black armbands, observe minute of silence
In memory of the victims, players and umpires will don black armbands and observe a minute of silence at the start of the match.
The BCCI has also opted against having cheerleaders at the event as part of austerity measures.
This comes after widespread condemnation from world leaders and Indian cricketers such as Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill who have taken to social media to express solidarity with the bereaved families.
Past actions
BCCI's history of solidarity with terror attack victims
Notably, this isn't the first time BCCI has stood in solidarity with victims of a terror attack.
After the Pulwama attack in 2019, the cricketing body skipped an opening ceremony for IPL's 12th season and donated money for victim welfare instead.
The Indian Cricket Team also paid tribute by donning camouflage caps during a match against Australia that year, while MS Dhoni wore gloves with Army Insignia at the 2019 ODI World Cup.
Match preparations
BCCI's sources confirm tribute arrangements for IPL match
A BCCI source confirmed to ANI about the arrangements for today's match.
"Players and umpires to wear black armbands in today's match. There will be one minute's silence before the start of the match, and there will be no cheerleaders today, also no fireworks," the source said.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army and Jammu & Kashmir Police have launched a search operation in the Pahalgam area to nab those responsible for this attack.