No fireworks and cheerleaders in SRH vs MI IPL match, players to wear black armbands for Pahalgam terror attack victims

Sources confirmed to Hindustan Times that players and umpires will be wearing armbands to pay condolences to the victims of Pahalgam attack.

Updated on: Apr 23, 2025, 12:40:40 IST

By Vishesh Roy

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken some measures following the terror attack in the Pahalgam region in Kashmir. Terrorists opened fire near the popular tourist destination on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 26 people. This is the deadliest attack in the Kashmir valley since the Pulwama attack in 2019. As the country continues to express sorrow and grief following the tragedy, the Indian cricket board has decided not to allow fireworks in the IPL 2025 contest between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Wednesday (April 23).

Sources privy to developments confirmed to Hindustan Times that players and umpires will be wearing armbands to pay condolences to the victims who lost their lives in this deadly attack.

A minute's silence will also be observed before the contest between Pat Cummins' SRH and Hardik Pandya's MI starts.

"We are shocked by this attack. We have decided that there will be no cheerleaders and fireworks in today’s IPL match in Hyderabad. Players and umpires will wear black armbands. One minute's silence will also be observed before the start of the game,” a source within the BCCI told Hindustan Times.

Earlier, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya had taken to Instagram to express their sorrow regarding what transpired in Pahalgam on Tuesday.

Also read: Virat Kohli's powerful reaction to 'heinous' Pahalgam attack: 'Praying for justice to be served for this cruel act'

Kohli wrote, "Deeply saddened by the heinous attack in Pahalgam on innocent people. Heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. Praying for peace and strength to families of all those who lost their lives and justice to be served for this cruel act."

On the other hand, Hardik Pandya wrote, "Devastated by the news from Pagalham. My thoughts are with those affected and their families."

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen, who is the mentor of Delhi Capitals for IPL 2025, also took to X to condemn the attack. "I see flags flying at half mast in Delhi today and rightly so. Despicable what happened in Kashmir yesterday! My thoughts with all those who lost their lives and their families and friends," he wrote.

What happened in Pahalgam?

According to the Kashmir police, at least four terrorists opened fire at tourists from close range. A daughter of the victim told news agency PTI that the terrorists mainly targeted male tourists.

"There were several tourists around, but the terrorists specifically targeted male tourists after asking whether they were Hindu or Muslim," she told PTI.

Following this attack in Kashmir, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, also cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and returned to Delhi.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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