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The Indian cricket team arrived in London on Saturday without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, their absence noticeable despite the lack of fans and media at the airport.
New Delhi: India’s upcoming Test tour of England will be the first since 2011 without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who recently retired from the format. The team, now captained by Shubman Gill, arrived in London to a low-key reception, highlighting the absence of the two veteran batsmen.
Kohli’s arrival in Adelaide last November for India’s Australian tour generated significant media and fan excitement. The anticipation surrounding what was potentially his last Test series in Australia was immense, leading to a closed-door practice session that didn’t deter enthusiastic fans from seeking a view of the renowned cricketer.
Following the arrival of the Indian cricket team in London for a five-match Test series beginning June 20, no public appearances were made by the team on Saturday. A social media video from Indian journalist Vimal Kumar drew attention to this. “I did not get to see that hype. Not a single fan or media personnel was seen,” said Vimal in the video.
No kohli no hype , I am here for long time to witness the downfall of indian Test cricket.
Empty airports , stadiums …get used to it .
— Raj 🐺 (@the__choosenone) June 7, 2025
When BCCI announced Captain is Gill the Test Aura gone there itself
— Srikar Rebel (@SrikarRebel8) June 7, 2025
No King Kohli, no hype.
— Sports syncs (@moiz_sports) June 7, 2025
Some cricket fans believed the retirement of Kohli and Rohit Sharma signaled the end of an era for Indian Test cricket, even predicting its decline. Others, however, expressed confidence that Shubman Gill’s future performances would restore the team’s prestige.
At a Mumbai press conference, Gill was questioned about the absence of Kohli and Rohit and the resulting pressure on the younger team members. He confidently responded that this challenge was comparable to others the team had previously overcome.
“Pressure is always there in every tour. Definitely, two very experienced players who played for such a long time and won so many times, very difficult to fill their space. But it is not a different kind of pressure, all of us players are used to it,” he said in the pre-tour presser on Wednesday.
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