Kohli, Rohit and Gill swap blue for black
India captain Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma met All Blacks legend Keven Mealamu, who presented each of them with a personalised black jersey carrying their famous cricket numbers: 77 for Gill, 18 for Kohli and 45 for Rohit.
The meet-up came ahead of the first of five One Day Internationals (ODIs) between New Zealand and India, played at Eden Park in Auckland on 4 November 2026. Eden Park is also one of the All Blacks’ most famous home grounds, and home to a 54-game undefeated streak since 1994.
Mealamu, one of the most capped players in All Blacks history with 132 Tests, was part of the sides that won the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and 2015.
The moment was shared by the Indian cricket team on Instagram, where it quickly drew tens of thousands of likes from fans in India and around the world.
The ODI series continues in Wellington on 7 November, before moving to Hamilton and Mount Maunganui for the remaining matches.
