RR vs MI: Rajasthan Royals to pay tribute to Shane Warne on April 30
India Today
Back in March, legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne passed away after reportedly suffering a heart attack while partying with his friends in Thailand.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) are set to pay tribute to their former skipper Late Shane Warne during their match against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Saturday, April 30 at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai. Back in 2008, at the same venue, the Australian spin wizard captained the Royals to their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title. RR had beaten the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by three wickets to be crowned as the inaugural champions.
The Royals, in the meantime, said that Warne’s brother, Jason, would take part in the celebrations after accepting an invite from the IPL franchise. Back in March, Warne breathed his last at the age of 52 after reportedly suffering a heart attack while enjoying with his friends at the Thai resort of Koh Samui.
"It is befitting that the same stadium where Warne lifted the IPL trophy will see the cricketing world come together to pay their respects and celebrate his life," the Royals said in a media release.
"The franchise would like to iterate that it will not be an occasion to mourn, but to commemorate the great man, and salute him for his never-ending contribution to the game of cricket as well as impacting thousands of lives around the world through his words, energy, and actions both on and off the field," the release stated.
The RR players will be donning the initials 'SW23' on leading collars of their playing kits on Sunday. Moreover, an area of the venue in Mumbai has been converted into a Shane Warne Tribute Gallery. As per reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Royals will take charge of the celebrations.
"The Royals have also reached out to the Batch of 2008 and are appreciative of everyone who has sent in their tributes for the greatest leg-spinner of all time. These tributes will be made available on the match-day on Rajasthan Royals' social media..." the release added.
The Royals, led by Sanju Samson, are currently placed on top of the table with 12 points and a net run rate of +0.561. On Tuesday, they defeated the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 29 runs at the MCA Stadium in Pune.
