Sri Lankan cricketers wore black armbands against India in the 33rd match of the ICC World Cup 2023 to mourn the passing of legendary fan Percy Abeysekara, fondly known as Uncle Percy. Uncle Percy passed away at the age of 87 after a long illness. He was a dedicated supporter of Sri Lankan cricket, attending major tournaments worldwide. Indian team captain Rohit Sharma visited Uncle Percy at his home in Colombo during the Asia Cup 2023.
Sri Lanka Cricket took to Twitter to confirm that players would wear black armbands in their match against India to honor the late Percy Abeysekera. The board mentioned that Uncle Percy played a significant role in supporting and motivating the players from the boundary.
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“Sri Lankan players to wear black-arm bands Sri Lanka players will wear black armbands during today’s game vs. India to pay tribute to the late Percy Abeysekera, the legendary cheerleader. Abeysekera was an integral part of the game of cricket in Sri Lanka and did play a pivotal role from beyond the boundary line to support and motivate the players. His towering legacy spans across Sri Lanka’s pre- and post-test eras, and his name will remain etched forever among cricket lovers,” Sri Lanka Cricket wrote the caption.
Sri Lankan players to wear black-arm bands 🖤
Sri Lanka players will wear black armbands during today’s game vs. India to pay tribute to the late Percy Abeysekera, the legendary cheerleader.🫡
Abeysekera was an integral part of the game of cricket in Sri Lanka and did play a… pic.twitter.com/O8e1b3OpsE
— Sri Lanka Cricket 🇱🇰 (@OfficialSLC) November 2, 2023
Sri Lanka made one change to their lineup for the match against India, with Dushan Hemantha replacing Dhananjaya de Silva. India fielded the same team.
Sri Lankan cricketers paid tribute to their legendary fan Uncle Percy by wearing black armbands in their match against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, November 2.
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India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed SirajSri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dushan Hemantha, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka
