India’s T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill has opened up about when and how he first started following football. The 26-year-old batter revealed that his interest in the sport began during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and it was Brazilian superstar Neymar who truly inspired him. Gill admitted that he would always pick whichever team Neymar played for while watching matches.

“I started actually watching football because of Neymar. I used to love watching the 2014 World Cup. I started watching football properly then. And I used to love watching Neymar, so whatever team he was in, I used to pick that,” Gill said in a chat via Apple Music’s YouTube channel. He further added that Neymar’s moves over the years also influenced his own football interests. “Ever since he’s gone to Saudi and now back to Brazil, I’ve kind of stopped playing FIFA. But whenever I do play, I remember I used to pick Liverpool in between because they had a very strong team. And then Man City,” he explained.

Gill also reflected on his FIFA gaming habits, noting that he doesn’t play the video game as often these days as he once did. However, during his active days with the console, English Premier League clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City often featured in his choices. Off the field, Gill has also been in fine touch with the bat. Returning to India’s T20I squad for the Asia Cup 2025 as vice-captain, he scored an unbeaten 20 off nine balls to help India chase down 58 runs in just 4.3 overs in their opening game.

Meeting Manchester United Stars

Carrying on the football talk, Gill also recalled a memorable experience with Manchester United players when India toured England for a five-match Test series. The fourth Test was played in Manchester, where the Indian squad visited Old Trafford and engaged in a fun collaboration with the Premier League club. “We went to see all the players when we were in Manchester. Yeah, it was like a team collaboration between the Indian cricket team and the Manchester United team. All the players were really amazing. I met Mason Mount, whom I have known from before when he was playing in Chelsea, and met Bruno Fernandes. Most of the players, they all were so nice and so kind. We spoke about so much,” Gill said.

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The Manchester experience came during Gill’s first tour as India’s Test captain, a series where he shone both as a batter and leader. He ended as the highest run-scorer of the season with 754 runs, including four hundreds and a double hundred, which helped India secure a thrilling 2-2 draw. Gill's words articulated not only his idolization of footballers but also how, as a sporting personality, he is able to find inspiration from sporting icons beyond the cricket field.

In what was a fabulous off-field memory, India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah received a signed AC Milan jersey from football's great, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Bumrah shared his sheer happiness on social media, holding Ibrahimovic's No. 11 jersey. The pacer stated, “Woohoo, words fall short. Ecstatic.” The 31-year-old Bumrah thanked his wife, Sanjana Ganesan, for making the moment possible, making it an even better memory. 

Bumrah's Turnaround in Focus Ahead of the Asia Cup

While his signature jersey has fans buzzing, the good news for cricket is that Bumrah's anticipated return to India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025, starting on September 9 in the UAE. India will start their campaign against the hosts, the UAE, on September 10; the final is scheduled for September 28. 

Bumrah played the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy earlier this year, taking 14 wickets in three Tests, including two five-wicket hauls. Bumrah missed earlier this year on the Champions Trophy, where injury doubts with a lower back injury have now been cleared, and he has reportedly made himself available for selection.

Jasprit Bumrah received a signed Jersey as a gift from football Icon Zlatan Ibrahimović. 😍 pic.twitter.com/NVgzdD7cfq

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 19, 2025

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A Boost for Team India 

Bumrah’s inclusion will certainly boost India. He has been a proven match-winner for India in all formats with his skill, pace, and experience. Bumrah might also give Mohammed Siraj some time off after the Hyderabad pacer bowled all five Tests in England with long spells. 

Bumrah has not played white-ball cricket since the T20 World Cup final against South Africa in June 2024 and has not played ODI cricket since the 2023 World Cup final, so he will be raring to play in the continental event. 

Asia Cup 2025: Squad Out

With a signed jersey by Zlatan already making his week special, Bumrah wants to make equally special memories on the field when the Asia Cup gets underway.

The recently concluded England tour was one of the memorable and successful tours for the Indian opener KL Rahul, where he played a dependable top-order role for his team. While the fifth Test at The Oval ended in a tense situation, Rahul showed his incredible calmness by revealing his incredible football skills on the field on the final day of the series decider. 

The fifth day of The Oval Test is unforgettable, which started with the targets of 35 runs for the hosts England and four wickets for the visitors India to claim a victory. To save the Test series, it was a must-win game for India. Indian pacers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna both brought their desperate skills and clinched India's narrowest Test win (by runs) after winning by six runs. 

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Watch KL Rahul's impressive football skills

During that completely tense final day of the series, where every ball was vital, and people couldn't leave their seats, Indian cricketer KL Rahul showed his football skills. After Gus Atkinson guided a delivery back of the wicket, Rahul charged on the ball while the batter had no intention to run. In that comfortable situation, Rahul picked the ball with his right foot and juggled it multiple times impressively before throwing the ball.   

Fans enjoyed it very well, while some were also shocked to see a great hidden skill from the dependable top-order Indian batter. Although Rahul has been seen to play football multiple times previously, these skills were too impressive.

KL Rahul with his football skills. 😄 pic.twitter.com/05r8VcYqXh

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) August 6, 2025

KL Rahul was a star in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025

While the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 ended in a 2-2 series line, Indian cricketer KL Rahul finished as the third leading run-scorer. The right-handed opening batter scored 532 runs in 10 innings with an average of 53.20, including two centuries and two half-centuries. For multiple times in the series, he set a confident base in the Indian innings. He also finished the series with the most catches for India (joint second most catches in the series) with six catches. 

Five Most Loved Sports in the World

Now a days, Sports are loving by every where. They gather friends and families, make us cheer and leave us players to worship or stare at and success or failure to emulate. Without further ado, let me show you the top 5 sports according to fans around the world.

1. Football (Soccer)

Football is the most popular sport in the world. It’s followed by more than 4 billion people! It is played all over, in small villages and big cities. All you need is a ball. That’s how it goes with big events, like say, the FIFA World Cup: entire nations stop. Teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United have followers from countries across the world. It’s the most accessible sport to play and to watch, and that’s why so many people love it.

 
2. Cricket: The World’s Second Most Popular Sport with Over 2.5 Billion Fans

Cricket is not just a game it’s a big part of life for many people. It started in England a long time ago and spread to many countries when the British ruled them. Today, cricket is huge in South Asia. India alone has over a billion fans. When India plays Pakistan, everyone stops what they’re doing to watch.

Test matches last five days and are slow and thoughtful,One-Day matches (ODIs) take about 8 hours and T20 matches are fast and fun, lasting around 3 hours.

🚨 CRICKET IS 2ND MOST POPULAR SPORTS IN THE WORLD 🚨

- Cricket now has Over 2.5 Billion fans in the World. (World Atlas). pic.twitter.com/oIKzBVD5sd

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) July 1, 2025

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the biggest sports leagues in the world. It’s colorful, loud, and feels like a big party every game. Cricket brings people together. Families and friends watch matches, celebrate wins, and remember big moments for years. In many places, it’s more than a sport it’s part of who they are.

3. Basketball

No that’s roughly 2 billion basketball fans. It is huge in the US, China, Philippines and many other countries. It’s fast and exciting. You can play it in cramped quarters, on the street or in gyms. The NBA can be football’s imposing older brother, with luminaries like LeBron James and Stephen Curry recognized everywhere. People love basketball because it is so easy to play and enjoyable to watch.

4. Hockey

Hockey: Hockey is loved in two ways: field hockey and ice hockey. Together they boast a fanbase of around 2 billion. Field hockey is widely followed in India, Pakistan, Netherlands, and Australia.
Ice hockey Another bigee in Canada, US, Russia and some parts of Europe. Both types of hockey are played in big tournaments and who have loyal fans who shout loudly to support their teams.

5. Tennis

Tennis has more than 1 billion fans across the globe. It is played all over, I parks, schools, clubs. Wimbledon, the US Open , the French Open and the AustralianOpen attract large audiences for big matches. Athletes like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams are household names everywhere. Tennis is a favorite sport for a lot of people to participate in as well as watch. These five sports is most like in the world. They unite people, generate incredible moments, and provide something to root for. Whether you happen to be a football, cricket, basketball, hockey or tennis fan, there’s always a reason to play, watch and party.