India and Zimbabwe wear black armbands for Sarah Dambanevana
India and Zimbabwe wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence in Raipur to honour Sarah Dambanevana, the Zimbabwe umpire who died aged 36.
India and Zimbabwe players wore black armbands during the first Women's T20I at Shaheed Veer Narayan International Stadium in Raipur on Friday. A minute's silence was observed before the match in memory of former Zimbabwe cricketer and umpire Sarah Dambanevana, who died earlier this week aged 36.
Dambanevana represented Zimbabwe as a fast bowler before becoming one of the country's pioneering female match officials. She joined the ICC Development Umpires Panel in 2022 and officiated 72 senior international matches, including 10 men's T20Is, 14 women's ODIs and 48 women's T20Is. Her final assignment was the T20I between Ireland and Thailand on February 1, 2026.
ICC chairman Jay Shah said Dambanevana's journey from international cricketer to umpire inspired women pursuing careers in cricket officiating. India won the toss and chose to bowl first in the opening match of the three-match series.
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Dambanevana's last game came just weeks before her death, leaving a gap in the women's officiating panel that both boards will now have to fill.