Prince William swapped royal engagements for a game of cricket as he joined several prominent names from the sport at The Mall in London. The friendly match, titled ‘Cricket on The Mall’, featured former India captains Sourav Ganguly and Ajinkya Rahane, West Indies legend Brian Lara, England batter Joe Root and several other cricket stars.
The event celebrated the sporting ties between India and the United Kingdom and helped build excitement for the upcoming Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, scheduled to take place in Mumbai next month. William tried his hand at both batting and bowling, while also taking time to greet spectators and pose for photographs.
Prince William impresses with the bat during friendly cricket match
The Prince of Wales showed his enthusiasm for the game as he stepped onto the cricket field alongside some of the biggest names in international cricket. Although the match was played in a relaxed atmosphere, it gave William an opportunity to test his skills against a group of experienced players. Former West Indies captain Lara was among those who assessed the Prince’s performance.
“He underrates himself because he’s a big football fan, as we all know. I think his bowling needs a lot of work but his batting across the line, he’d just be my sort of number six or number seven batter,” Lara said.
While he saw potential in William’s batting, Lara felt there was considerable room for improvement in his bowling. The legendary batter added that William could be useful lower down the order, particularly if he managed to connect with a few boundaries towards the end of an innings.
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#IGR: Prince William plays cricket with legends outside Buckingham Palace
Britain’s Prince William turned London’s iconic Mall into a temporary cricket pitch, joining Indian cricket great Sourav Ganguly, West Indies legend Brian Lara and England captain Joe Root for an informal… pic.twitter.com/TTJZfNWSgZ
— India Global Review (@IGR_Media) October 14, 2026
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Sourav Ganguly also praises Prince William’s batting
Ganguly was also impressed with William’s effort with the bat. Ganguly joked that the Prince was currently in better touch than he was, having not picked up a cricket bat for several years. The former India skipper also praised William for being friendly and down to earth during the event. The gathering brought together a mix of current and former players, including England stars Root and Harry Brook, as well as former England fast bowler James Anderson.
“He batted alright. He’s better than me at the moment because I just picked up a cricket bat for the first time in eight or nine years,” Ganguly said.
The friendly match was organised ahead of the next Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Mumbai, bringing cricket and environmental initiatives together through an event celebrating ties between India and the UK. William’s participation also offered a lighter side to his royal engagements, with the Prince enjoying time on the field and interacting with fans. With cricket legends from both countries taking part, the event provided a memorable occasion for spectators in London.
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