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Players of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians as well as the match officials observed a moment’s silence for the victims of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians observed a moment’s silence for the victims of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam (X)
A moment of silence was observed for the victims of the Pahalgam attacks ahead of match 41 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) by the players of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) as well as the match officials at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
The IPL match between SRH and MI will also not feature cheerleaders and fireworks.
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Let’s all stand for peace and humanity. A minute’s silence was observed in Hyderabad to pay respect to the victims of Pahalgam terror attack.
All the players, support staff, commentators & match officials are wearing black armbands for tonight’s game. #TATAIPL | #SRHvMI pic.twitter.com/PIVOrIyexY
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 23, 2025
“To honour those who lost their lives, a 60-second moment of silence was observed before the start of play, following a formal announcement over the public address system. This allowed both in-stadium and broadcast audiences to participate in the tribute. During the toss, the captains of both teams offered their condolences and strongly condemned the heinous act. Throughout the match, players, match officials, commentators, and support staff wore black armbands as a mark of respect. The commentary team further acknowledged these gestures on air, reflecting on the emotional significance of the tribute and the nation’s shared grief,” BCCI said in a statement.
“The BCCI also took a conscious decision to conduct the game without fanfare. There were no cheerleader performances, celebratory fireworks, music, or DJ activities — ensuring a dignified atmosphere that honoured the solemnity of the occasion,” the statement added.
BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia said: “The cricketing community is deeply shocked and anguished by the tragic loss of innocent lives in the gruesome terror attack at Pahalgam yesterday. On behalf of the BCCI, while condemning this ghastly and cowardly act with strongest possible words, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the departed souls. In sharing their pain and grief, we stand hand in hand at this hour of tragedy.”
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Hardik Pandya and Pat Cummins also condemmed the attack.
As for the match, Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to field first against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Hyderabad made one change as Mohammad Shami misses out and Jaydev Unadkat come in. For MI, Vignesh Puthur came in for Ashwani Kumar.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad Pat Cummins said, “One change for us – Shami goes out. It is a cause for optimism, we know this surface and ground really well. We’ve played some really good cricket this year. It has been heartbreaking for us as well, our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”
After a poor start to the season, Mumbai Indians have roared back into form having won three straight games on the trot. With a spot in the playoffs on the lines in the coming weeks, the visitors will hope to continue their momentum.
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya said, “Feels good (on the applause). I would like to pass my condolences to the victims of the terrorist attack. We’ll bowl first. Looks like a good track, just one change for us – Vignesh comes in for Ashwani. We need to just execute our plans and take the game as simply as possible, plan properly.”
(With inputs from Agencies)
