T20 World Cup: Indian players take the knee before Pakistan game

The Virat Kohli-led Indian team on Sunday extended their support to the 'Black Lives Matter' movement by taking the knee before their T20 World Cup match against arch-rivals Pakistan. Before the opening duo of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul walked out to bat, the Indian players were seen taking the knee outside the team dugout.

Players of the Pakistan team, captained by Babar Azam, too paid a tribute by holding their right hand to their heart. Sportspersons, including cricketers across the world, had been taking the knee to show support to the movement against racism since the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of police personnel in Minneapolis in May last year.

The Indian team was making the gesture for the first time. England and the West Indies teams, along with the match officials, took a knee last summer during their three-match Test series, the first from the sport. Pakistan captain Babar won the toss and elected to bowl first against their arch-rivals in the Group 2 blockbuster clash in the Super 12 stage.

India captain Virat Kohli said the team's gesture of taking the knee in support of the 'Black Lives Matter' movement before the T20 World Cup game against Pakistan was guided by a communication from the "management" after the rival side agreed to pay a tribute of its own.

"That was communicated to us by the management. The Pakistan team agreed to pay their tribute towards the same cause, and then we accepted our side of things, as well. Yeah, that's how it was decided," Kohli said explaining the gesture after the match on Sunday night which India lost by 10 wickets.