The nation continues to mourn the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 13, which occurred shortly after takeoff en route to London. The devastating incident resulted in the loss of approximately 270 lives, including passengers, crew, pilots, and students from a medical college at the crash site. The sporting community, including cricketer Rishabh Pant, has been deeply affected by the tragedy. Speaking before the first Test match, Pant shared his emotional response, highlighting the profound impact of the event. In light of the sorrow, the unveiling of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, formerly known as the Pataudi Trophy, was postponed. Pant stated, “The whole of India were saddened, disheartened. At the same time, the only thing from our side is, we are going to be sticking to them how we can make India happy again. Obviously, emotions are going to be high because of what happened in the crash. But at the same time, we want to put our best foot forward for the country.” The first Test between England and India is scheduled for June 20 at Headingley, with young captain leading Team India against Ben Stokes’ England side. The series marks the beginning of the WTC cycle 2025-27 for both teams.
