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Fans on social media were in for a treat as the Shubman Gill-led Indian cricket team paid a visit to Premier League giants Manchester United on Sunday. Trailing 2-1 in the five-Test series against England, the Indian side took a break from the cricketing grind, switching sports and jerseys for a day. A video shared on the BCCI’s official X handle offered fans a look at the team’s interaction with the Red Devils. Captain Gill, eyeing a crucial win to keep India alive in the series, appeared to draw inspiration from Ruben Amorim’s squad. But it was head coach Gautam Gambhir who stood out, engaging in a meaningful discussion with the Manchester United manager, outlining what his side hopes to ‘copy’ from the footballing giants. “I’ve been here in 2014 as well. This is a completely different experience because you end up chatting with the players. I ended up chatting with Ruben as well, which was a nice interaction—understanding what his ideology is towards team sport and what my ideology is towards team sport,” Gambhir recalled. He underlined the parallels between football and cricket, especially in terms of team culture. “The basic foundation of a team sport is very similar, where I feel that it’s the player who adapts to what the team needs, rather than the team adapting to a certain individual. And that is the culture we want to build,” said the 43-year-old.Captain Gill also mirrored the coach’s feelings. “Very exciting to be able to meet top athletes in the world from another sport. To get to know their stories is very inspiring. You’re playing two different sports, but the mindset you play with is, most of the time, very similar,” he said. Kuldeep Yadav, who hasn’t featured in the series yet, revealed he has followed Amorim closely since his Sporting days and asked him about his tactical setup for the upcoming season.
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Clips of the cricketers and footballers sharing laughs ahead of the fourth Test at Old Trafford on July 23 quickly went viral. A win for India will set up a thrilling finale at The Oval.
