Rising Cricket Star, 23, Who Just Completed MSC, Among 241 Victims of Air India Tragedy

• The world is dealing with the Air India tragedy, which claimed 241 lives, leaving only one survivor
• Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane flying from Ahmedabad to London crashed a few minutes after takeoff
• A rising cricket star who recently completed his Master's programme has been identified as a casualty

A rising Indian cricketer and a Master of Science graduate has been identified as one of the casualties of the Air India flight which crashed on Thursday, killing 241 people.

Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flight flying from Ahmedabad and scheduled to land in London crashed a few minutes after takeoff, leaving only one survivor.

The crash scene was a hostel housing medical students, which led to the death of 24 people, increasing the death toll from the devastating to 265 people.

The Black box and cockpit voice recordings from the plane have been recovered, and investigations to ascertain the cause of the tragic events are ongoing.

Leeds cricketer dies in Air India crash

According to BBC, a 23-year-old student and rising Indian cricketer was among the casualties of the Air Indian plane crash, which claimed 241 lives on board.

Dirdh Patel was a student of the University of Huddersfield, where he bagged an MSc in artificial intelligence and played cricket for Leeds Modernians Cricket Club.

Patel played for the team as their overseas player in 2024 and planned to continue playing the sport whenever he settled into his new job after graduation.

Patel was the brother of Krutik Patel, who played for Pool Cricket Club under the Airedale & Wharfedale Senior Cricket League (AWSCL).

Patel’s club Leeds Modernians confirmed that they will be holding a minute's silence before their 1st and 2nd team matches at the weekend weekend.

According to Money Control, he completed 20 matches while earning his Master's degree in 2024, scoring 312 runs and taking 29 wickets for the first XI.

Tributes to Dirdh Patel

Dr George Bargiannis, a reader at the University of Huddersfield’s school of computing and engineering, paid tribute to Patel, describing him as an exceptional person who excelled in academics.

“Dirdh was an exceptional individual, always intellectually curious, coming to me during classes with questions that showed deep understanding and commitment,” he said.

"He had a clear ability of seeing the bigger picture and how his learning could lead to making a positive impact in the world.”

The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Barbin, also paid tribute to Patel, extending her condolences to those who knew him in the city.

“Incredibly sad to learn of the death of University of Huddersfield student and Leeds cricketer Dirdh Patel in last week's plane crash in India,” she wrote on X.

“My thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and all who knew him here in West Yorkshire.”

Female British boxer dies of cancer

Legit.ng previously reported that a female British boxer, Georgia O'Connor, died of a rare and aggressive form of cancer nine days after tying the knot with his husband.

O'Connor battled with the cancer for eight months, which was exacerbated by a late diagnosis. She won all three of her professional fights before she passed away.

Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng