Ahead of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, captains of all ten teams participating in the tournament were invited for a gathering at the iconic Buckingham Palace in London.
The ten captains including India's Virat Kohli met Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry before the opening ceremony of the tournament on Wednesday.
It was an honour meeting Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Harry at the Buckingham Palace yesterday. @RoyalFamily pic.twitter.com/m552H9tPlt
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) May 30, 2019
Photographs of the captains shaking hands with the Queen in the 1844 room in the Palace were shared on social media soon after the interaction. While one photograph showed the Queen laughing in an interaction with Kohli and English captain Eoin Morgan, another showed the Queen seated with all the competing captains.
While some social media users wondered what was being talked about, a few termed the interaction between Kohli and Queen Elizabeth II as a king meeting a queen.
Great opportunity for Kohli to ask the queen to give our Kohinoor back. https://t.co/4WjW3kzrxj
— . (@iamsrktheking) May 29, 2019
#CWC19 to jeet k layenge hi, saath me Kohinoor bhi le aao. #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/2OzfHhOP2F
— God (@TheGodWhispers) May 30, 2019
U have 2 opts king kohli. Either u have to bring back kohinoor diamond or 2019 worldcup.
— chandrashekar R (@chandru22792) May 30, 2019
Others decided to dub Kohli as the 'Kohlinoor.
When you realize India still has the real Kohinoor!
— vikash sharma vicky (@vicky_sbl) May 30, 2019
IT'S KOHLINOOR.
#ICCWorldCup2019 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/djkoTDFMII
* When KOHLInoor's brand value is more than Kohinoor itself * #CWC2019 #ViratKohli #ENGvSA pic.twitter.com/MUL4qMI9wN
— Harshit Singh (@harshits009) May 30, 2019
When you realize India still has the real Kohinoor!
— vikash sharma vicky (@vicky_sbl) May 30, 2019
IT'S KOHLINOOR.
#ICCWorldCup2019 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/djkoTDFMII
Whether the Kohinoor diamond, which was usurped by the British in the 19th century, returns to India remains in doubt. However, fans remain hopeful that Virat Kohli and the Indian team come back with the World Cup trophy from England.
India plays its first game in the competition on June 5 against South Africa. India last won the competition in 2011 on home soil and are one of the favorites to go on and win the tournament this year.