Virat Kohli Meets Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Siraj at His London Home Before England Test - Reports

Virat Kohli, who recently retired from Test cricket along with Rohit Sharma, is currently spending some quality time with his family in London. Even though he’s on a break from the game, he still took time to meet a few of his India teammates. A big moment for Indian cricket is coming on June 20 as Shubman Gill will lead the team for the first time in Tests. It’s the start of a new chapter after the sudden exits of Kohli and Rohit. The five-match Test series against England kicks off at Headingley in Leeds and Team India will be looking to start fresh and build for the future.

Rohit Sharma’s decision to retire wasn’t too surprising, especially after he pulled out of the Sydney Test earlier this year following a rough patch in red-ball cricket. But Virat Kohli’s retirement came out of nowhere. He’s always been a strong supporter of Test cricket and called it the toughest and most special format. So, when he decided to step away at just 36and only a month before the England series it left a lot of fans and teammates truly surprised.

Post-Rohit & Kohli Era Begins With High Expectations on Gill

Even though Virat Kohli has retired from Test cricket, he’s still expected to follow the England series closely. A video report by RevSportz mentioned that just a few days before the first Test in Leeds, Kohli invited new captain Shubman Gill, vice-captain Rishabh Pant, and a few other players to his home in London. India had a day off on Monday after finishing their intra-squad match in Kent, so the timing was perfect for the players to catch up with their former senior.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

Virat Kohli called a few players to his house yesterday, Gill Pant Siraj and a few others part of the group.

Ahead of the start of the series and on a break day for the team, it must have been a nice way to unwind and get ready for battle.@rohitjuglan with… pic.twitter.com/3qmhysPIm7

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) June 17, 2025

The report didn’t clearly say what the meeting was about, but there’s been a lot of guessing some believe they may have talked about the upcoming series or how Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant could lead the young team. What’s known is that the conversation lasted for almost two hours. The Indian team is expected to reach Leeds on Tuesday, where head coach Gautam Gambhir will rejoin them. He had briefly returned to India due to a personal matter.

This series is especially important because it marks the start of a new chapter for Indian cricket. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retiring from Tests and Ravichandran Ashwin stepping away from international cricket, the responsibility now falls on 25-year-old Shubman Gill is leading a young and fresh-looking team.

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