The players of both Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru donned black armbands for tonight’s IPL 2026 match at the Wankhede Stadium.
MI, RCB players don black armbands
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya and Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar donned black armbands when they walked out for the toss ahead of the much-anticipated IPL 2026 game on April 12.
Before the match began, the giant electronic scoreboard at the stadium displayed the message “Asha Bhosle, 8 Sept 1933 – 12 Apr 2026”, and the fans stood for a minute’s silence.
Soon after play began, the commentators on the official broadcast channel mentioned that the cricketers were donning black armbands to commemorate the legendary singer, who passed away earlier in the day at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. She was 92.
Tributes poured in from around the country, including the cricket fraternity. “Words feel too small for the loss we feel,” tweeted Sachin Tendulkar, while Virat Kohli’s Instagram story read “your voice touched millions and will live on forever in our hearts”.
During an illustrious career that ran from 1943 to 2026, Bhosle had established herself as one of the greatest singers in India. Like her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar (whose obituary featured in the 2023 Wisden Almanack), Bhosle was an ardent cricket fan.
However, perhaps her closest foray into the sport came during the 2006 Champions Trophy, when she recorded the duet “You’re the One for Me” with Brett Lee.
Match 20, Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
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