King Charles III met with the Indian men's and women's cricket teams at St. James's Palace in London on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, following India's narrow 22-run defeat to England at Lord's. During the interaction, the King showed his keen interest in the sport and expressed his sympathy for Mohammed Siraj's unfortunate dismissal on Day 5 of the Lord's Test. Furthermore, he enquired about the health of Indian pacer Akash Deep's sister, who is currently battling cancer.
According to reports, King Charles had been following the highlights of the enthralling Test match. India captain Shubman Gill revealed that the King mentioned that the way the last batsman was dismissed was very unfortunate, referring to Siraj's dismissal where the ball brushed the stumps after he attempted to block a delivery from Shoaib Bashir. Gill told ANI that King Charles said the ball rolling onto the stumps was quite unfortunate. He also added that it was very kind and generous of King Charles to call and meet them. Gill said they told him that it was an unfortunate match for them and could have gone either way and that they hoped to have better luck in the next games.
BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who was also present at the meeting, shared that King Charles had individual conversations with all the players and enquired about Akash Deep's sister's health. Shukla expressed his happiness at the team meeting King Charles, saying that the King had done his homework and asked players about very little details. He added that it did not seem like they were talking to the King of England because of his humility.
Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian women's cricket team captain, also shared her experience of meeting King Charles, calling him very friendly. She said that it was a very nice experience and the first time they had met him, even though they had come to England so many times. She added that he asked them how the travel was and all, and it was really nice to meet him.
The King's gesture to host the Indian cricket teams and personally enquire about the players' well-being has been widely appreciated. It highlights his interest in sports and his compassionate nature. The meeting served as a morale booster for the Indian team after their narrow defeat at Lord's.
