On Thursday, June 12, the Air India AI-171, heading for London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. 274 persons died, including 241 passengers and 33 on-ground personnel. According to the most recent sources, DNA testing confirmed the identities of 215 people, while the mortal remains of 198 victims were returned to their relatives.

On Friday, June 20, prior of England’s first Test against India at Headingley, Leeds, players from both teams observed a moment of silence to pay tribute to the deceased souls and stand in solidarity with the grieving families.

“Before the start of play on Day 1 of the first Test at Headingley in Leeds, the Indian and England cricket teams held a moment of silence in commemoration of the victims of the Ahmedabad plane accident. The teams are wearing black armbands to show sympathy with those affected. The teams extend their heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of all those who unfortunately died,” the BCCI said on its official ‘X’ feed, alongside a photo of the Indian team.

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

India gets off to a great start

Ben Stokes won the toss and decided to bowl first. However, his pacers have struggled to make early inroads, with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal putting on a 44-run stand entering the first official Drinks Break of the five-match series.

Jaiswal has been the most outgoing of the two hitters. He continued where he left off in the Border-Gavaskar series earlier this year. While several balls have swung spectacularly, the circumstances have been ideal for batting. Rahul and Jaiswal would like to build on their strong starts.