Ahmedabad plane crash: Minute's silence observed during T20 Mumbai League final in memory of victims

The final of the third season of T20 Mumbai League began on a sombre note on Thursday evening with a minute’s silence observed at the Wankhede Stadium in memory of those who had lost their lives in the deadly Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad earlier on the same day.

Tragedy struck the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Thursday when Air India flight AI 171 to London lost power just seconds after takeoff at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, crashing into a hostel building at the nearby BJ Medical College and Civil Hospital.

All 242 persons aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, except for one lucky survivor, perished while several more on ground at the Megh Nagar locality, including trainee doctors who were having lunch at the hostel mess, were killed upon impact. Among those who had passed away in the tragic incident was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who was flying to the UK capital to meet his daughter.

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As a mark of respect for the departed, players from SoBo Mumbai Falcons and Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals wore black armbands and also stood side by side to along with match officials as the Wankhede observed a minute’s silence, during which a condolence message was displayed on the giant screen.

“In light of the tragic plane crash incident in Ahmedabad and in the spirit of solidarity and national sentiments, players from SoBo Mumbai Falcons and Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals, along with MCA officials, observed a minute of silence for the victims. A condolence message was displayed on the big screen before the start of the T20 Mumbai League 2025 Final at Wankhede Stadium, and all players wore black armbands,” read an official statement from the league.

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“Our prayers are with the victims of today’s crash. Remembering them in silence and solidarity,” read the message on Wankhede’s giant screen.

A minute’s silence had also been observed ahead of the Men’s FIH Pro League game between India and Argentina in Amstelveen, Netherlands on Thursday.

The tragic incident, one of the worst disasters in the history of aviation and the first to involve a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, had led to an outpouring of condolence messages on social media, including from sporting icons such as Sachin Tendulkar, Neeraj Chopra, Virat Kohli

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the tragedy as one that has “stunned and saddened” the nation and is “heartbreaking beyond words” in a post on X. He also visited the plane crash site and met Vishwaskumar Ramesh, the lone survivor from the flight.