India and Zimbabwe players wore black armbands during the first T20I between the two sides at the Shaheed Veer Narayan International Stadium in Raipur on Friday to honour former Zimbabwe cricketer and umpire Sarah Dambanevana, who passed away earlier this week.The players and match officials also observed a minute’s silence before the start of play in her memory.“The Indian Cricket Team, Zimbabwe Cricket Team and match officials are wearing black arm bands and observed a moment of silence in honour and memory of former Zimbabwe cricketer and umpire Sarah Dambanevana, following her recent passing,” the BCCI said in a post on X.Dambanevana passed away following a brief illness. She represented Zimbabwe as a fast bowler before moving into umpiring, where she became one of the country’s pioneering female match officials.In 2022, she became the first female umpire from Zimbabwe to join the ICC Development Umpires Panel. She received her first ICC appointment at the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in January 2023.At the age of 36, she had officiated in 72 senior international matches, including 10 men’s T20Is, 14 women’s ODIs and 48 women’s T20Is.Her last match was the T20I between Ireland and Thailand on February 1, 2026, during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Global Qualifier in Nepal.Meanwhile, India opted to field against Zimbabwe in the first T20I of the three-match series in Raipur on Friday. The series marks the start of Smriti Mandhana’s tenure as India’s captain, while middle-order batter Niki Prasad is set to make her international debut.The series is also the first bilateral international contest between India and Zimbabwe.
