The tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 13, en route to London, continues to cast a shadow of sorrow across India. The crash, which happened shortly after takeoff, claimed the lives of approximately 270 people, including passengers, crew, pilots, and students of a medical college at the crash site. Cricketer Rishabh Pant expressed his deep emotions regarding the incident ahead of the first Test. The unveiling of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, previously the Pataudi Trophy, was postponed due to the tragedy. 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 will commence on June 20 at Headingley, with the young captain leading Team India and Ben Stokes leading England. This series marks the start of the WTC cycle 2025-27 for both countries.
