Why do so many Indian cricketers turn up at Wimbledon?
Every year, Indian cricketers line up to catch live action from Centre Court.
Every July, the Centre Court crowd starts looking a lot like a Team India dressing room. This year was no exception as Shubman Gill, Sachin Tendulkar, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Shikhar Dhawan, and Yuvraj Singh all made it to Wimbledon 2026.
Gill became only the fourth Indian captain to be invited into the Royal Box, sharing the space with Sachin Tendulkar. Moreover, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, and Yuvraj Singh turned the final into a bit of a fashion moment, swapping cricket whites for cream suits and blazers.
Last year wasn’t very different. Virat Kohli, with wife Anushka Sharma, watched Novak Djokovic from the Royal Box, and Rishabh Pant made his own Royal Box debut fresh off India’s Test win at Edgbaston, alongside Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and former coach Ravi Shastri.
So this clearly isn’t a one-off; it’s become a pattern now. Hence, it’s worth asking why Indian cricketers keep gravitating to a tennis lawn in London every summer.
They’re genuine tennis fans
A lot of these cricketers grew up watching Wimbledon on TV long before they were cricketers of any consequence. Kohli’s admiration for Novak Djokovic is well known; he has previously referred to him as a ‘gladiator’ after watching him play.
Athletes tend to admire other athletes at the top of a different game, and Wimbledon, being tennis’s oldest and most storied stage, is the one event even non-tennis people want to say they’ve watched live.
The Royal Box has its own flex
Getting invited to the Royal Box isn’t something you can buy a ticket for. It’s an invitation, and a rare one which only Tendulkar, Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and now Shubman Gill have received among Indian captains. That scarcity is exactly what makes it valuable.
You’re sitting a few seats away from royalty, Hollywood actors, and legends from other sports, as the very first day at Wimbledon 2026 had British royals seated alongside David Beckham.
For a cricketer, that’s invaluable networking that money can’t buy, bringing together a room full of people who matter across entirely different industries.
A two-way street with tennis
It’s not only cricketers chasing tennis’ spotlight, but Wimbledon also seems just as eager to have them. Sponsors and brands often invite their ambassadors to the tournament for the visibility it brings, and Indian cricketers carry an audience that tennis would love a slice of.
When Wimbledon’s social media account compared Tendulkar-Kohli (2015) with Tendulkar-Gill (2026) and termed them “three generations of Indian cricketing greats,” it was a proactive attempt by Wimbledon to engage the Indian audience by leveraging some of cricket’s biggest names.
Cricket’s own off-season habit
The Championships lands right after the Indian Premier League (IPL) wraps up and often overlaps with England tours, so players who are already in the country or taking a break before the next assignment find it an easy stop.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma turned up right after India’s bilateral series ended in England, so it appears to be less of a planned pilgrimage and more of a convenient one.
Who won the Wimbledon 2026 men’s and women’s singles titles?
Jannik Sinner and Linda Nosková won the men’s and women’s singles titles, respectively.
Why do so many Indian cricketers turn up at Wimbledon?
The Indian cricketers often attend Wimbledon due to the calculated commercial efforts of the tournament organisers.
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Aniruddh Seshadri Iyer is a passionate sports journalist at Khel Now, specializing in tennis and Olympic sports. An engineer by training, he found his storytelling passion through iconic Grand Slam and Olympic moments. Known for sharp analysis and insightful coverage, he draws inspiration from Novak Djokovic’s resilience. Outside journalism, he enjoys reading, traveling, and playing the guitar.