BCCI plans 40-min memorial for Zubeen Garg at Women’s WC opening ceremony

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a special tribute to Assamese cultural icon and singer Zubeen Garg, who recently passed away in a yacht outing in Singapore. The memorial programme will be the centrepiece of the opening ceremony of the ICC Women’s World Cup, scheduled for September 30 in Guwahati.

“There is a huge grief and tragic situation prevailing in Assam, following Zubeen’s death. Keeping in consonance with that situation, and as a person who deserves some respect, the Assam Cricket Association and the BCCI will have a tribute programme during the opening ceremony,” said an emotional BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, who in all likelihood is set to continue in his post as the national cricket board gears up for a rejig in its next Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 28.

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The tribute segment, planned to last 40 minutes, is being described as one of the biggest memorials the cricketing fraternity could dedicate to the late singer. “This will be our respect and tribute to Zubeen,” Saikia added.

The inaugural game of the tournament will feature co-hosts India taking on Sri Lanka. Alongside the tribute, the ceremony will also showcase a performance by playback star Shreya Ghoshal, who will render some of her popular Bollywood hits and the tournament’s official anthem, Bring it Home.

The event comes at a time when Assam, and much of the Northeast, is caught between sorrow and anticipation. With Durga Puja and the World Cup just a week away, the festive spirit has been muted by the mourning for Garg, often described as the voice and heartbeat of Assam. Ordinarily, the state would be brimming with celebrations, but this year the buzz has been subdued, leaving the World Cup opening ceremony to serve as both a cultural remembrance and a moment of collective healing.

On the cricketing front, Saikia expressed hope that India’s women’s team would finally break their World Cup jinx. India recently pushed Australia hard in a three-match ODI series before losing 1-2 and also produced strong performances in England.

“It was a very keenly contested series, which Australia won by 2-1. But India played extremely well. Australia are a very good team, but India are catching up. And till now, India have not won any ICC women’s trophy, so this is a big opportunity for the team to do well.

“As the matches are being held in India as well as in Sri Lanka, everybody is backing the Indian team. Recently, they have done extremely well in England also, which is a big achievement for the Indian team. So, Indian women’s cricket has come of age. I am sure they will make a remarkable performance in the upcoming World Cup. I hope that the jinx will be broken this time,” Saikia said