In a unique and memorable moment during their England tour, members of India’s men’s and women’s cricket teams were hosted by King Charles III at Clarence House in London on Tuesday.
Among the attendees were prominent names like Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill, who engaged in a warm and informal conversation with the British monarch.
The meeting came just a day after India’s gripping third Test loss to England at Lord’s, where the visitors came agonizingly close to pulling off a dramatic victory but fell short by 22 runs. The King, who revealed he had watched the highlights of that very game, sympathised with the Indian side over the nature of their defeat.
"It was amazing to meet King Charles III and he was very kind and generous to call us. We had some really good conversations. King Charles III told us that the way our last batsman got out in the previous test match was quite unfortunate, the ball rolling on the stumps...We told him that it was an unfortunate match for us and could have gone either ways. Hopefully, we will have better luck in both the next games," said Shubman Gill while reflecting on the interaction.
In the Lord’s Test, India were left chasing 193 for victory in the fourth innings. Starting Day 5 at 58/4, they faced early setbacks, with England's pacers applying unrelenting pressure. However, Ravindra Jadeja stood tall, scoring a gritty unbeaten 61 off 181 deliveries. His resistance, coupled with stubborn support from Nitish Reddy, Bumrah, and Siraj, nearly turned the tide in India's favour.
The lower-order’s resilience saw India inch toward what could have been a historic win, but the innings ended at 170 in 74.5 overs, with Siraj's dismissal—bowled by Shoaib Bashir as the ball rolled onto the stumps—proving to be the final blow.
That narrow defeat has now left the five-match Test series tilted 2-1 in England’s favour. With the fourth Test scheduled to begin in Manchester on July 23, all eyes will be on whether India can bounce back and level the series and further win the series on English soil.