Key Points

Rishabh Pant opened up about the Ahmedabad plane crash ahead of India's Test series against England. The tragedy, which claimed 241 lives, has deeply affected the nation. Pant emphasized the team's responsibility to uplift spirits through their performance. Meanwhile, India enters a new Test era under captain Shubman Gill, facing an unchanged England XI in Leeds.

Key Points: Rishabh Pant Shares Grief Over Ahmedabad Crash Before England Test

  • Pant expresses sorrow over Ahmedabad crash
  • India begins new Test era under Shubman Gill
  • England announces unchanged XI for Leeds Test
  • Series marks first without Kohli and Sharma
2 min read

Whole country was disheartened...: Rishabh Pant on Ahmedabad plane crash ahead of Leeds Test against England

India's vice-captain Rishabh Pant reflects on the Ahmedabad plane tragedy while preparing for the England Test series in Leeds.

"The whole country was disheartened, but we will put our best foot forward for India. – Rishabh Pant"

Leeds, June 18

Ahead of the five-match series at Headingley against England, Team India's vice-captain Rishabh Pant expressed his feelings on the Ahmedabad plane crash, which happened on June 12.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference about the plane crash, Pant told the media, "The whole country was disheartened, but at the same time, the only thing from our side is that we would be sticking to them on how we can make India happy. The emotions are always going to be high, as what happened in the crash, but at the same time, we will put our best foot forward for the country. How can we make them happy? That's added responsibility for us always."

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft crashed into a hostel complex shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, killing 241 passengers and crew, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. One passenger, Vishwas Kumar, survived the tragic incident.

India tour of England will take place from June to August 2025, with matches to be played at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London).

A new era beckons for India in the Test format as the modern-day giants gear up for their first assignment without the prized batting bigwigs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill, India's youngest Test captain, has taken the baton from Rohit to guide the nation to success and challenge for the World Test Championship mace.

India squad for England Test series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

England on Wednesday announced its playing XI for the opening Test of the five-match series against India, which will kick off on June 20 at Headingley.

For the opening Test, England has retained the majority of the XI they fielded against Zimbabwe during the one-off Test last month. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will open for England, followed by Ollie Pope at number three.

England Playing XI for the 1st Test against India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun M.
Pant's words show true sportsmanship spirit. Cricket unites our nation in tough times. Hope the team dedicates their victory to the crash victims. 🇮🇳🏏 #PrayForAhmedabad
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Priya K.
The Ahmedabad tragedy was heartbreaking. While cricket is important, I hope BCCI considers organizing a charity match for victims' families. Sports can heal wounds in ways politics cannot.
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Rahul D.
Good to see Pant speaking about national issues beyond cricket. But honestly, the aviation safety standards need urgent review - this is the 3rd major crash in 5 years. Hope authorities take note.
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Sneha P.
Emotional moment for all Indians. The team should wear black armbands in first Test as tribute. On cricket front - excited to see Gill's captaincy! New era begins without our legends Kohli-Rohit 😢
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Vikram S.
The survivor's story gives hope amidst tragedy. Regarding the match - England's batting looks strong but our pace attack can trouble them in overcast conditions. Bumrah vs Root will be 🔥
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Neha T.
Mixed feelings - sadness for the tragedy but excitement for cricket! Hope Pant channels these emotions into his batting. England beware - an emotional Indian team is dangerous! #BleedBlue

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