Why Indian players are wearing black armbands in 1st ODI against Sri Lanka?

Following an exhilarating T20I series between India and Sri Lanka, which resulted in India securing a 3-0 victory over the hosts, the focus shifted to the three-match ODI series. The series kicked off on Friday, August 2, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in the capital city of Colombo. Notable names such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made their return to the squad after a month-long absence following India's triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024. Home skipper Charith Asalanka won the toss and elected to have the visitors bowl first.

During the match, Indian players were seen wearing black armbands as a mark of respect. The Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, donned the black armbands to mourn the passing of former Indian cricketer and head coach Anshuman Gaekwad. Gaekwad featured in a total of 40 Test matches and 15 One Day Internationals from 1975 to 1987 for India. Following his retirement, he took on the role of head coach of Team India in 1997, guiding the Men in Blue to numerous victories, including the 1998 tri-nation tournament.

Gaekwad lost his battle with cancer and passed away on July 31 at the age of 71. He amassed 1985 runs from 70 Test innings, with a highest score of 201 against Pakistan in 1982-83. His contributions to Indian cricket will always be remembered and cherished.

Coming back to the match, India skipper Rohit Sharma said during the toss, "We have played a lot of cricket here and know the conditions. There has been a lot of changes; I am back, so is Virat, KL and Shreyas Iyer. Kuldeep also comes back in. Dube is also playing. We have a pretty decent balance. We had a great World Cup, we didn't cross the finishing line but there were a lot of positives. We have created an atmosphere where guys can come in and play with freedom. Not really (on whether he will bowl), I will focus on my batting. We have enough bowlers in the squad that can roll their arm over."

Also read| India vs Sri Lanka LIVE Score, 1st ODI: Sri Lanka win toss, opt to bat first