Auckland: India captain Shubman Gill and batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma met rugby legend Keven Mealamu before the start of the first ODI against New Zealand here Wednesday and were presented with personalised jerseys by the All Blacks great.
Mealamu, who made 132 appearances for New Zealand’s national rugby team, is among the most-capped players in All Blacks history and also captained the side.
A key member of the squads that won the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and 2015, Mealamu presented the Indian trio with the special jerseys before the start of the match.
“I just wanted to say it’s an honour having you here. And I know you must have a million jerseys, but it’s our opportunity to share the ‘Mana’. ‘Mana’ in our language means sharing the respect, but also to share the energy with you,” said Mealamu, in a short video posted by the BCCI on ‘X’.
A special moment before the start of play 🇮🇳🇳🇿
Captain @ShubmanGill, @imVkohli and @ImRo45 meet with the legendary Keven Mealamu, a titan of New Zealand rugby and are presented with personalized rugby jerseys.
#TeamIndia | @AllBlacks https://t.co/Kw8OLfk1N9
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 4, 2026
A traditional Maori chant, performed by cultural exponents, added to the pre-match festivities as the Indian and New Zealand players were escorted into the stadium.
“A special moment before the start of play. Captain @ShubmanGill, @imVkohli, and @ImRo45 meet with the legendary Keven Mealamu, a titan of New Zealand rugby and are presented with personalized rugby jerseys,” the BCCI wrote on X, sharing pictures of the meeting.
India, who clinched the five-match T20I series 3-2 under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, have now turned their attention to the ODI series, with Gill leading the side.
The five-match ODI series will be followed by a two-Test series beginning November 19.
Kohli and Rohit, who have retired from T20Is and Test cricket and now feature only in the 50-over format, remained the centre of attraction, with spectators turning out in large numbers to catch a glimpse of the two veteran stars.
The match got off to a slightly delayed start due to rain.