The Buzz

It's raining cricketers at Wimbledon

Roger Federer stops by to give Joe Root and Jimmy Anderson some love at Wimbledon, July 7, 2025

Game recognises game at Wimbledon  •  Getty Images

Move over Met Gala. If you're a sportsperson, the place to be seen right now is at Wimbledon, which served up its usual mix of strawberries, sunshine, and surprise cricketer sightings. Newly retired Virat Kohli made his appearance at Centre Court ten years after he was seen there last, and he was very clear on who he was rooting for. He name-dropped Novak Djokovic with whom he's been touch "for some time now".
Turns out being retired isn't a pre-requisite for showing up at the tournament - you can also drop by if you're between Tests. Rishabh Pant certainly did.
India women's cricket had their own representative there, young Shreyanka Patil who was manifesting a World Cup at Lord's a day before.
And you can't go an English summer without spotting some England cricketers in the Royal Box. Joe Root and James Anderson bumped into Roger Federer there. A few words, a handshake, and some photos later, they settled in for the day's play.
There were more GOATs in the stands than at a petting zoo. MS Dhoni spent his birthday there.
Deepak Chahar may not be playing the Test series in England, but he's definitely playing it cool at Wimbledon. He turned up in a suit so sharp, it should have come with a safety warning.
Commentators deserve a day off too, and Ravi Shastri took full advantage of his before the third England-India Test at Lord's on Friday.