Players from both India and Zimbabwe wore black armbands during the first T20I between the two sides in Raipur on October 16, 2026. Match officials also participated in the tribute, and a moment of silence was observed before the start of play.
The gesture was made in honour of former Zimbabwe cricketer and umpire Sarah Dambanevana, who passed away in Harare on October 14, 2026, at the age of 36. She had remained in hospital since undergoing a medical procedure in March 2026.
The BCCI confirmed the tribute ahead of the match.
“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,” wrote BCCI on X.
Who was Sarah Dambanevana?
Sarah Dambanevana was a fast bowler who represented the Zimbabwe women’s team from 2009 to 2014. During her playing career, she was part of the Zimbabwe squad that competed at the 2011 Women’s World Cup Qualifier, one of the most significant tournaments the side featured in during that era.
After retiring from playing, Dambanevana transitioned into umpiring and quickly made her mark. She became the first female umpire from Zimbabwe to join the ICC Development Umpires Panel in 2022, a landmark achievement that opened the door for her international career as an official.
She made her international umpiring debut on September 2, 2023, in a Kenya versus Botswana women’s T20I held in Gaborone, Botswana. Over the course of her umpiring career, she went on to officiate in 72 senior international matches, comprising 48 women’s T20Is, 14 women’s ODIs and 10 men’s T20Is. Her final match as an umpire was a T20I between Ireland and Thailand on February 1, 2026, during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 Global Qualifier held in Nepal.
What milestones did Dambanevana achieve as an umpire?
Dambanevana accumulated a remarkable set of firsts during her umpiring career, cementing her place as a trailblazer for Zimbabwean women in cricket administration. She officiated at the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, becoming the first Zimbabwean female umpire to stand in that tournament.
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She was also part of the historic all-female panel of match officials at the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup, which was held across India and Sri Lanka. That appointment underlined the trust the ICC had placed in her abilities on the biggest stages of the women’s game.
In 2026, she stood as an umpire in the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup final between England and India, becoming the first Zimbabwean woman to officiate in a World Cup final of any format. Her passing has drawn tributes from across the cricket world, with the teams and officials at the Raipur T20I choosing to honour her memory through the black armband gesture and a moment of silence.
