Shubman Gill meets Bruno Fernandes, Gautam Gambhir chats with Ruben Amorim as Indian cricketers visit Manchester United players at Old Trafford

'Sport doesn't have boundaries' is a common phrase and it is hugely common these days to see sports personalities of different fields sharing an amazing camaraderie. Remember the famous Sachin Tendulkar rapport with Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic applauding Steve Smith? There are plenty more other incidents too, of course. Cricket and football share the most common friendship, if it can be put that way.

 

On Sunday (July 20), the Indian cricket team took some time-off from their practice sessions to do what any sport lover would aim for, when in Manchester - attend Manchester United's training ground and visit the Old Trafford football ground. With the cricket stadium in the city very close to its football counterpart, this was also a convenient task for Shubman Gill's men who had a solid team interacting with Bruno Fernandes' Red Devils. The two coaches, Gautam Gambhir for India and Ruben Amorim for Manchester United, were also seen having deep conversations.

 

The highlight of the meet up was when the two teams swapped their jerseys around as a mark of mutual respect. So, we got to see Fernandes donning the Indian Test jersey while Gill was spotted in the trademark Red jersey of Manchester United. Everyone present during this union, including Gambhir and Amorim, stuck to this formality and it made for a fun-filled evening for all the players. The two teams not only did a reversal of their costumes but were also spotted swapping their sports around.

 

So, there were United players who were either batting or bowling against the Indians who then had a share of football fun with the Red Devils players. There is a bit of common ground between India and Manchester United, when it comes to the current situation.

 

Gill's boys have just embarked on a transition in Test cricket and Gambhir has been facing flak for the lack of results in the longest format. India lost 0-3 at home to New Zealand and were also beaten 1-3 away by Australia. Currently, they are trailing 1-2 to England in the five-match series.

 

Similarly, Amorim has inherited a United side that has been on the decline in recent years. The club also saw a flurry of managers come and go with the Portugese being the latest to take up the role. The Red Devils had an embarrassing Premiere League season in 2024-25 where they finished at 15th in the points table.

 

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