{
  "id": 18061531,
  "title": "IND vs NZ 1st ODI: Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma Meet Rugby Legend Keven Mealamu, Receive Special Personalised Jerseys",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/ind-vs-nz-1st-odi-shubman-gill-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-meet-rugby",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-04T03:07:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/ind-vs-nz-1st-odi-shubman-gill-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-meet-rugby-legend-keven-mealamu-receive-special-personalised-jerseys"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ahead of India's first ODI against New Zealand, cricket stars Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were treated to an extraordinary encounter. Former All Blacks rugby player Keven Mealamu presented the Indian trio with personalized rugby jerseys, marking a unique cross-sport interaction. Mealamu, a legendary figure in New Zealand rugby, had a remarkable international career, participating in 132 matches and being part of the team that won the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and 2015. The meeting between the Indian cricket players and Mealamu underscored the strong sporting ties between India and New Zealand, extending beyond the cricket field. The players were visibly thrilled to meet the rugby legend and received their customized jerseys during the interaction. The occasion took place before the start of the much-anticipated India-New Zealand ODI at Eden Park on November 4. As Gill captains the Indian team, the visitors aim to begin their five-match series on a winning note after securing a 3-2 triumph in the recent T20I series.",
  "summary": "Indian cricket stars Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma enjoyed a special moment ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand as they met legendary former All Blacks rugby player Keven Mealamu in Auckland. The Indian trio were presented with personalised rugby jerseys by Mealamu, creating a memorable cross-sport interaction ahead of the much-anticipated India-New Zealand clash at Eden Park.…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}