IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill and Team India meet Kings Charles III, shares talk about 'unfortunate' incident

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After their narrow 22-run defeat to England in the third Test at Lord's, Team India's men's and women's cricket teams met King Charles III at St. James's Palace in London on Tuesday (July 15).

This gathering, attended by both teams' captains-Shubman Gill (men) and Harmanpreet Kaur (women)-as well as coaching and management staff, took place in the context of the ongoing Test and ODI series between England and India. Officials including BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla and India's High Commissioner to the UK were also present.

During the audience, King Charles engaged in brief but warm conversations with several Indian players, expressing sympathy for the dramatic fashion in which India lost at Lord's. He singled out the moment when Shoaib Bashir's delivery, aiming for the final wicket, spun back and bowled Mohammed Siraj, leading to a heartbreaking defeat for India as they fell short of their chase by just 22 runs.

King Charles remarked to Gill about how "really annoying" it must have been to lose in such a way, characterizing Siraj's dismissal as "unfortunate". Captain Gill responded, stating it was a tough loss that could have gone either way and expressing hope for better luck in upcoming matches.

"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," Gill was quoted as saying by ANI.

The King also met vice-captain Rishabh Pant, leading pacer Jasprit Bumrah, and interacted with other members of the touring party. The reception included opportunities for players to share a laugh and reflect on the closely contested series, which England currently leads 2-1. King Charles continued the ceremony by meeting the women's team, appreciating their recent T20I series victory over England, a historic first for the side.