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Indian players ignored by fans in England as Test team arrives without Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma: Report
Team India, led by new Test captain Shubman Gill, landed in London for the five-match series against England starting 20 June. However, the squad was reportedly ignored by fans at the airport, with no crowd to welcome them in the absence of stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. read more
The Indian men's cricket team landed in London on Saturday to begin their long tour of England for the upcoming five-match Test series, starting from 20 June. The team will now be led by young batter Shubman Gill after both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket last month.
Team India arrives in England
The BCCI shared a video on its social media showing the players arriving in the UK for the bilateral series. The post was captioned, 'Touchdown UK. Team India have arrived for the five-match Test series against England.' Players like Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna and captain Gill were seen smiling in the video. Head coach Gautam Gambhir was also seen nodding at the camera.
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Indian team ignored by fans?
However, according to journalist Vimal Kumar, the arrival of the Indian team didn't attract much attention. Vimal, on his YouTube channel, claimed that there were no fans or media waiting near the airport to welcome the team, something that used to be common when stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were part of the squad. The lack of crowd made it feel like a quiet entry for Team India this time.
Meanwhile, Indian players were spotted on the streets of London just hours after landing in the country on Saturday. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav were among those seen walking around and giving autographs to fans.
Before leaving India, Shubman Gill had spoken to the media about the big responsibility ahead. He revealed that he was overwhelmed upon hearing the news of becoming India's Test captain. Gill also spoke about his captaincy style, saying that he doesn't have one yet but hopes to develop it over time.
'I was overwhelmed to learn that I had been presented with the opportunity to lead India. It is a big responsibility and I am looking forward to a great challenge in England,' Gill said.
'I don't have any particular style. As I get more experience, my personal style will come forward. I like having communication with players and talking to them. I want to make a bond with players. It is important. Understand their weakness. If players feel secure, they can give 100%,' he added.
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