Virat Kohli and Joe Root unite to commemorate the role of Indian soldiers during First World War

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London, September 8: The Indian and England cricket teams have united to recognise the role of Indian soldiers during the First World War as part of a British armed forces charity movement, with the two squad captains, Virat Kohli and Joe Root, wearing a unique poppy made out of Khadi. Khadi is the handwoven cotton closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi and India's freedom struggle.

Kohli and Root on Friday became the first to wear a unique Khadi poppy. Initiated by Indian-origin peer Lord Jitesh Gadhia and commissioned especially by the Royal British Legion charity to mark the Centenary of the end of the First World War, the red cloth poppy is identical to the traditional British symbol of remembrance of the war dead. The two teams are currently playing their final Test match at the Oval in London.

"The Khadi poppy is a hugely symbolic and highly appropriate gesture to recognise the outsized contribution of Indian soldiers during World War I," Lord Gadhia said in a statement. "It will also send an important signal to young Asians growing up in Britain. Our identity is our destiny and so third and fourth generation Asians should know that their fathers and grandfathers didn’t just come to Britain as immigrants. Our ancestors fought for this country and for freedom and democracy – even though they lived in a colony at the time," he said.

The Khadi poppy will be formally unveiled at a special commemorative match day hosted by Surrey County Cricket Club, when a halftime re-enactment of a cricket match played on the Western Front between the Royal Manchester Regiment and the Sikh Regiment of the Indian Army will also take place.

"Our country owes more to the sacrifices of these men than it is possible to express and this anniversary seems a particularly appropriate time to say 'Thank You’," said Surrey County Cricket Club Chief Executive Richard Gould.

The Royal British Legion said the massive contribution of Commonwealth forces 100 years ago, particularly from undivided India, is a key focus during this year’s special anniversary. More than 1.3 million Indian soldiers served in the war across multiple continents, from the Somme to the Sahara, and over 74,000 lost their lives. They fought with courage and distinction, with 11 individuals awarded the Victoria Cross for their outstanding bravery, the armed forces charity noted.