Hours after the demise of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) announced that the Indian cricket team will wear a black band during the first ODI match against West Indies on Sunday (February 6).
“In honour of Lata Mangeshkar, our players in the match between India & West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad today, will wear a black band. The National Flag to fly at half-mast,” informed BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla.
The match is scheduled to start at 1:30 pm IST at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India will play two One Day International matches against the touring side of West Indies at the same venue on February 9 and February 11.
In honour of #LataMangeshkar, our players in the match between India & West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad today, will wear a black band. The National Flag to fly at half-mast: BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla pic.twitter.com/HAgvLnt0Xk
— ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2022
Lata Mangeshkar was an avid follower of the game. She shared a strong bond with ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and had good connections with other cricketing personalities. Following the victory of India at the World Cup in 1983, she agreed to do a special free concert for the winning side.
She recounted, “I watched the final at Lord’s. I could not believe that we had won the World Cup defeating the two-times champion West Indies. Naturally, as an Indian, I felt very proud of the achievement. After winning the trophy, Kapil Dev invited me for a dinner with the Indian team in London. I went there for a while and congratulated the team. The duration of the concert was four hours.”
Earlier in the day, BCCI paid tribute to the legendary singer. In a tweet, it stated, “The BCCI joins the nation in mourning the loss of Bharat Ratna Smt. Lata Mangeshkar ji. The queen of melody enthralled the country for decades. An avid follower of the game and an ardent supporter of Team India, she helped create an awareness using music as a medium.”
The BCCI joins the nation in mourning the loss of Bharat Ratna Smt. Lata Mangeshkar ji. The queen of melody enthralled the country for decades. An avid follower of the game and an ardent supporter of Team India, she helped create an awareness using music as a medium.#RIPLataji pic.twitter.com/BSfDb9YnYC
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 6, 2022
On Sunday, February 6, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away at Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital. She had tested positive for Covid-19. She was 92 years old.
As per reports, she was undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital. Lata Mangeshkar was suffering from pneumonia. She showed slight improvement in her health, but was again shifted on ventilator and ICU as her condition deteriorated. She breathed her last on Sunday morning.
