Reports: Virat Kohli hosts Indian team at London house ahead 1st Test against England

With just days to go before the start of a blockbuster five-Test series against England, former Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who recently announced his retirement from red-ball cricket, hosted a few of his teammates and members of the support staff at his London residence. The informal get-together, which took place on a break day for the team, was a chance for players to unwind and a refreshing time ahead of the demanding tour that begins June 20 in Leeds.

Among the guests at Kohli’s home were newly-appointed Test captain Shubman Gill, wicketkeeper-batter and vice-captain Rishabh Pant, pacer Mohammed Siraj, and a few others. The evening gathering was quiet and intimate, with the batting stalwart, who has now called it a time in the red-ball format, spending time catching up with his teammates and friends from the national side.

Meanwhile, Kohli, who led the side in 68 of his 123 Tests, is still India's most successful Test captain in England with three wins. The Delhi-born might also be present in the stadium for either of the a couple of games of the series in London (third Test at Lord's and fifth at The Oval) to cheer for the side.

Now, with Gill taking up the captaincy duties after the retirement of Kohli and Rohit Sharma, he is set to lead a relatively inexperienced team. Notably, he has led the Men in Blue in T20Is during the Zimbabwe tour in 2024. With 32 Test matches under his belt and 1893 runs at an average of 35.05, Gill’s record in England has been under par, with just 88 runs from three games, which came during their previous tour.

After practicing at the Kent Cricket Ground for a week, the visiting team is expected to begin their preparations at Headingley in Leeds, where the first Test is set to take place. Leeds' chief curator, Richard Robinson, is making every effort to produce a surface that sustains five days of cricket. With first-innings scores traditionally hovering around 298 at Headingley, both sides will be looking to gain an early advantage.