Rishabh Pant expresses grief; T20 Mumbai, UTT players wear black armband for Ahmedabad plane crash

Mumbai, June 12 (IANS) India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant expressed his shock and grief while players participating in the T20 Mumbai League and Ultimate Table Tennis sported black armbands after an Air India flight bound for London, carrying over 240 passengers, crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport on Thursday afternoon.
 
At least 169 Indians and 53 British nationals were travelling in Air India's flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London's Gatwick airport.

Pant was devastated by the news and prayed for the victims and the families of the affected.

"Shocked, heartbroken, and devastated by the news of the plane crash in Ahmedabad. Praying for the victims, their families, and everyone affected," said Pant in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Players involved in the final of the T20 Mumbai League observed a minute of silence for the victims.

In the spirit of solidarity and national sentiments, players from SoBo Mumbai Falcons and Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals, along with MCA officials, observed a minute of silence for the victims before the start of the T20 Mumbai League final at the Wankhede Stadium. 

A condolence message was displayed on the big screen before the start of the T20 Mumbai League 2025 Final at Wankhede Stadium, and all players wore black armbands.

"Our prayers are with the victims of today's crash. Remembering them in silence and solidarity," the condolence message read.

In Ahmedabad, players from Dabang Delhi TTC and U Mumba TT wore black armbands in memory of the lives lost in the tragic Air India crash for their match in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6. 

"Our hearts go out to the families affected. Ultimate Table Tennis stands united in grief," the league said in its message.

Earlier, the sports fraternity expressed its grief and anguish over the tragic accident with Harbhajan Singh, P.V. Sindhu, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Bajrang Punia, Shikhar Dhawan, and Mohammed Shami, besides all the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises expressed their grief over the tragic crash. 

Picture Courtesy: IANS