India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill recently found himself at the centre of a unique sporting crossover after receiving an autographed pair of football boots from Manchester City and Norway superstar Erling Haaland. The rare exchange between two global sporting icons instantly grabbed attention, offering fans a memorable moment that blended cricket and football.
A short six-second video of the interaction has gone viral on social media. In the clip, Haaland is seen signing his football boots before personally handing them over to Shubman Gill. Both athletes were dressed in white Nike jerseys, a detail that further fuelled fans’ excitement. The visual of India’s leading batter and one of football’s most feared strikers sharing the frame left supporters in awe.
It sparked widespread admiration for the mutual respect between elite athletes from different sports. The moment capped off what has been a highly eventful year for Shubman Gill.
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In 2025, the 26-year-old enjoyed major leadership milestones, starting with India’s Champions Trophy triumph in March. He followed it up by leading Gujarat Titans to the playoffs in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League, reinforcing his credentials as a calm and composed leader. Ahead of the demanding five-Test tour of England, Gill was handed the Test captaincy following Rohit Sharma’s exit from the format, and he was later appointed India’s ODI skipper as well.
Shubman Gill meets Erling Haaland. 😍
– Haaland gifted his signed football Boots to Indian Captain. pic.twitter.com/yae3gYDxXh
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 2, 2026
Shubman Gill also returned to India’s T20I setup before the Asia Cup, which India went on to win. However, his personal form in the shortest format dipped, with modest returns against Australia and South Africa. Those struggles eventually led to his omission from India’s T20 World Cup squad earlier this year.
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Despite the T20 setback, Gill’s focus has shifted firmly to the 50-over format. He is expected to feature in Punjab’s upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy matches against Sikkim on January 3 and Goa on January 6. Following that, Shubman Gill will lead India in a three-match ODI series against New Zealand, beginning on January 11 in Vadodara, before matches in Rajkot and Indore later in the month.
