IPL 2025: Players to wear black armbands to pay homage to Pahalgam attack victims

The tragic incident, which took the lives of 26 people, including two foreign nationals, has sent shockwaves throughout the entire country.

In memory of the victims, players and umpires will be wearing black armbands and will also stand for a minute of silence before the match. Moreover, no cheerleaders will be present in the ground as austerity measures will be maintained throughout the game.

The attack on the innocent tourists has received widespread condemnation from top world leaders, and several Indian cricketers have also expressed their solidarity with the families of the victims. Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill have condemned the attack through their social media accounts.

It’s not the first time that the BCCI is standing in solidarity with the victims of a terrorist attack, as back in 2019, the cricketing body decided not to hold the opening ceremony for the IPL’s 12th season in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack. The officials instead decided to donate the money for the welfare of victims’ families.

The Indian Cricket Team also wore camouflage caps during the third ODI vs Australia in March 2019 to honour the members of the army who lost their life in the incident. The same year legendary India wicketkeeper batter MS Dhoni also used gloves with Army Insignia during the ODI World Cup. However, he was asked to stop wearing them by the ICC (International Cricket Council).