Crossing paths: Indian cricketers interact with Manchester United stars at Carrington

India captain Shubman Gill opened up about his interaction with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, revealing how the two captains connected over shared experiences of dealing with pressure in elite sport.

The Indian men’s cricket team visited Manchester United’s Carrington training facility on Sunday, where Gill and vice-captain Rishabh Pant were seen trying their hand at penalties while donning the iconic red shirts of the Premier League club.

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“It’s very exciting when you are able to meet top athletes in the world from another sport. To get to know their stories is very inspiring, how you’re playing two different sports, but the mindset that you play with most of the time is very similar,” said Gill in a video shared by the Indian team’s official social media handle.

Speaking about his chat with Fernandes, Gill added, “He (Bruno) just told me that there is pressure at times, but it’s similar when you step onto the field; you don’t really think about all the things that people expect from you. It’s more about you to be able to enjoy your game and enjoy the sport that you love.”

India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who also spent time with United’s squad and manager Ruben Amorim, reflected on their discussion about the fundamentals of team sport and leadership values.

Anorim took over managerial duties at United last season following the sacking of Erik ten Hag. Amorim made the move from Sporting Lisbon, but his tenure at United so far has been challenging as the club finished 15th in the Premier League and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

“I’ve been here in 2014 as well. This is a completely different experience because you end up chatting with the players, you end up chatting with Ruben as well, which was a nice interaction that what his ideology is towards team sport and what my ideology is, the basic foundation of a team sport is very similar, where I feel that I think it’s the player that adapts to what the team needs rather than the team that adapts to the individual and that is the culture which we want to play,” said Gambhir.

Kuldeep Yadav, an avowed Liverpool fan, didn’t miss the opportunity to talk tactics with Amorim and shared his admiration for United’s Brazilian midfielder Carlos Casemiro.

“Ruben, I have been following him from Sporting, and I asked him questions about the tactics, whether you’re going to stick with the 3-4-3 (formation) this season, and I had the chance to chat with Casemiro about how I admire him as a player,” said Kuldeep.

While the players enjoyed the rare crossover with top-tier footballers, the focus now shifts to the upcoming fourth Test at Old Trafford, with India heading into the match trailing 1-2 in the five-test series, and dealing with a growing list of injuries.