Team India is taking on hosts Sri Lanka in the first ODI of the three-match series in Colombo. Captain of Sri Lanka, Charith Asalanka, won the toss and decided to bat first. The match has been touted as the comeback game for both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the squad as they last featured during the T20 World Cup. However, one thing that certainly caught the eyes of the viewers was the Indian team donning black armbands.
These black armbands were for former India coach and cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad, who had passed away recently. “Team India is wearing black armbands today in memory of former Indian cricketer and coach Anshuman Gaekwad who passed away on Wednesday,” BCCI tweeted.
Team India is wearing black armbands today in memory of former Indian cricketer and coach Aunshuman Gaekwad, who passed away on Wednesday.
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 2, 2024
BCCI Grieves the Loss of Aunshuman Gaekwad.https://t.co/OQGCADH8CT
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 1, 2024
Anshuman Gaekwad, 71, had been battling blood cancer for quite a while. In cricket, he represented India in 40 Test matches and 15 ODIs from the period of 1975-1987. Gaekwad made some telling contributions to Indian cricket, both on and off the field.
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In his final days, Anshuman Gaekwad was fighting the serious illness of the last stages of lung cancer. Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev and 1983 World Cup hero Sandeep Patil, earlier this month, urged the BCCI to help Gaekwad. Subsequently, following that appeal, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah released INR 1 crore with a view to extending support to the veteran cricketer fighting blood cancer.
At the start, the Sri Lanka captain, Charith Asalanka, after winning the toss and opting for batting, first brought on debutant pacer Mohammed Shiraz, taking a cue from the nature of the pitch. As far as India was concerned, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Kuldeep Yadav made it to the playing eleven; Shivam Dube returned for his first ODI since 2019.
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Black armbands displayed on the Indian players was a befitting reminder of the legacy of Anshuman Gaekwad and the respect he inspired in the cricket fraternity. It epitomized the brotherhood of cricketers across the board, where players and fans alike remembered contributions and struggles of a dear servant of Indian cricket.
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj.
Sri Lanka (Playing XI): Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka (c), Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Akila Dananjaya, Asitha Fernando and Mohamed Shiraz.
