Champions Trophy 2025: Why are Indian players wearing black arm bands in Semi-Final 1 against Australia?
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first.
The first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 between India and Australia at the Dubai International Stadium witnessed Indian players sporting black armbands as they took the field. This was a tribute to the late Padmakar Shivalkar, the legendary Indian left-arm spinner who passed away on March 3, 2025.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expressed grief over the demise of Shivalkar, one of the most admired figures in Indian domestic cricket. Despite never playing international cricket, Shivalkar performed extraordinarily in the Ranji Trophy, particularly for Mumbai (formerly Bombay).
Throughout his illustrious career, Shivalkar played 124 first-class matches and took 589 wickets at an average of 19.69. His most memorable performance came in the 1972–73 Ranji Trophy final, where he registered figures of 8 for 16 and 5 for 18, leading Mumbai to a victory over Tamil Nadu.
Shivalkar was often compared with fellow left-arm spinner Rajinder Goel, another stalwart who never got the opportunity to represent India internationally. However, his contributions did not go unrecognized, as he was honored with the prestigious Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He was also an integral part of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team, winning ten titles between 1965-66 and 1976-77. His career spanned over two decades, with his first-class debut in 1962 and his final appearance in 1987-88 at 47.
Meanwhile, in the semi-final game, Australian skipper Steve Smith called it correctly at the toss, elected to bat first, and made two changes to their playing XI, bringing in Cooper Connolly and Tanveer Sangha in place of injured Matthew Short and Spencer Johnson. Meanwhile, the Indian team remained unchanged.
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