World Cup 2023 IND vs SL: Why are Sri Lankan players wearing black armbands?

As Sri Lanka is locking horns against India in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Sri Lankan players wore black armbands to pay tribute to Percy Abeysekera, who passed away a couple of days ago. He was one of the 'super fans' of Sri Lanka.

Abeysekera aka ‘Uncle Percy’, was an integral part of Sri Lanka's matches. He played a significant role to motivate the players.

Rohit Sharma meets 'Uncle Percy'

India skipper Rohit Sharma visited ‘Uncle Percy’ during the Asia Cup in September. The Indian opener, on Wednesday, said, “I was lucky to get an opportunity to meet him in Sri Lanka during the Asia Cup. He has been such a great fan of cricket and, of course, the Sri Lankan team. He is probably the first-ever fan that I met who was genuine, and the support from his side towards his team and the players was fantastic to see”. 

Sri Lanka Cricket released an official statement on Thursday, “His towering legacy spans across Sri Lanka’s pre- and post-test eras, and his name will remain etched forever among cricket lovers”. 

Several former and current Sri Lankan cricketers paid homage to the ‘super fan’.