Virat Kohli invited some of his former Test teammates, including Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, to his home on Monday evening. Although he recently announced his retirement from Test cricket, the star Indian cricketer appears to remain connected with the team. According to reports, Virat Kohli welcomed Team India’s new Test captain Shubman Gill, new vice-captain Rishabh Pant, pacer Mohammed Siraj, and a few others to his London residence just days before the start of India’s five-match Test series against England. With the first Test at Headingley beginning on June 20, Gill and the others spent an evening at Kohli’s house to relax and unwind.
Kohli Meets Team India as Gill Takes Over Test Captaincy, While James Anderson Reflects on Bowling Battles with Indian Legends
Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and other Indian team members recently visited Virat Kohli at his London home for a few hours, according to a video report by RevSportz. This upcoming England tour marks Shubman Gill’s first Test series as India’s full-time red-ball captain, succeeding Rohit Sharma. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had announced their retirements from Test cricket shortly after IPL 2025.
Meanwhile, England’s fast bowling legend James Anderson reminisced about his long career battling Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Although Anderson enjoyed success against both, he found bowling to Kohli especially challenging.
Having debuted in 2003 and retiring only last season, Anderson dismissed Tendulkar nine times and Kohli seven times in Tests. Speaking to talkSport, Anderson recalled exploiting Virat Kohli early weakness outside off stump during the 2014 England series. However, by 2018, Virat Kohli had improved drastically, making him a very different and tougher opponent.
Anderson noted that Tendulkar and Kohli were at different career stages when facing him. While Tendulkar maintained consistent dominance, Virat Kohli elevated his game to another level, making it difficult not just for Anderson but for all bowlers. Anderson described Tendulkar as “God-like” and Kohli as a fiercely competitive, in-your-face character who relished the battle on the field.
After his initial success against Virat Kohli, Anderson found it increasingly hard to get him out, highlighting Kohli’s steely mindset and competitiveness as key factors in his evolution as a batsman.
