Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Queen Roots for UK-India ties

The Queen slipped in a doosra by questioning Joe Root’s dismissal in the second England-India ODI in Nagpur in January when she accepted the new Indian high commissioner’s letter of commission at Buckingham Palace last Wednesday (15).

Over her 60-year reign, the Queen, now 90, has acquired a lot of knowledge about a great many things, but it was not known that she follows cricket – it has generally been assumed that horse racing is her thing.


It could be that Prince Philip, who does enjoy watching cricket, tipped her off about Root’s dismissal.

Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha, who is India’s 26th high commissioner in London, and his wife Girija were ferried to and from the palace from his residence in Kensington Palace Gardens in a four-horse drawn landau. They were escorted by William Alistair Harrison, Her

Majesty’s marshal of the Diplomatic Corps.

“She asked me about Joe Root’s dismissal,” said Sinha, who has been moved from Colombo in Sri Lanka to London to be high commissioner, while his predecessor, Navtej Sarna, has gone to Washington DC to be Indian ambassador after only seven months in the UK.

The Queen was referring to Root’s controversial dismissal for 38, when he was given out lbw to Jasprit Bumrah by umpire C Shamshuddin.

After England lost the match by five runs, the skipper Eoin Morgan expressed his “extreme frustration” with the umpiring decisions he believed had tipped the game in India’s favour. In Root’s case, he probably had a point because replays appeared to suggest the player had touched the ball before it hit his pad.

Root, 26, who was last week named England Test captain in succession to Alastair Cook who has stepped down after England’s 4-0 series defeat, will be as surprised as anyone that the Queen took up his case.

Root and his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli, 28, are rivals for the position of “best batsman in the world”.

Future contested decisions may not have to be referred to the regal umpire at Buckingham Palace, however. Sinha told the Queen that DRS (Decision Review System), which was not in operation during the ODIs, might have solved the problem.

The Queen, who was said to be in “good spirits”, said she was looking forward to the UK-India “year of culture” in the 70th year of Indian independence. She is due to give a reception for Indians at the Palace to which 200 big names, such as Sachin Tendulkar, will be flown in.

“There will also be a cricket exhibition at Lord’s,” disclosed Sinha at the Vin d’honneur (reception) he hosted at his residence after the Palace ceremony.

Guests at the reception included the high commissioners of Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the ambassador of Nepal.

A note from India House said: “The high commissioner conveyed greetings from the president and prime minister of India to Her Majesty the Queen and reiterated the commitment of the government of India to work towards implementation

of the roadmap agreed between the two countries during the visit of the UK prime minister to India in November 2016.

“Her Majesty the Queen expressed happiness at the various initiatives being taken by both countries to further enhance the bilateral relations.”

More For You

Police Recover £1M Stolen Jewellery in Hounslow, Owners Sought

The jewellery was largely taken from London’s South Asian community in Hounslow between 2023 and 2024. (Photo: Met Police)

Stolen jewellery worth £1m recovered in Hounslow, police seek owners

POLICE are seeking to reunite stolen jewellery worth over £1 million with its rightful owners after recovering the items during a proactive operation across London and the home counties.

The recovered collection includes identifiable pieces such as a World War One officer’s Rolex watch, a gold locket containing old pictures, an engraved gold ring, and an engraved gold pocket watch from Harlow Bros Ltd.

Keep ReadingShow less
british-muslims

The initiative aims to track incidents, raise awareness of hate crime, and provide better victim support.

iStock)

Government announces fund to combat anti-Muslim hate

THE UK government has announced a new fund to monitor anti-Muslim hate and support victims, with applications opening on 7 April.

The initiative aims to track incidents, raise awareness of hate crime, and provide better victim support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Probe launched over racist broadcast at Kent asylum centre

FILE PHOTO: Entrance of Manston short-term holding centre for migrants, near Ramsgate in southeast England. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Probe launched over racist broadcast at Kent asylum centre

AUTHORITIES have launched an investigation following reports that a racist message was broadcast over portable radios at an asylum processing centre in Kent.

The incident occurred at the Manston site, where small boat arrivals are processed by the Home Office and its contractor, Mitie, reported The Guardian.

Keep ReadingShow less
Protest against dog crackdown ahead of Modi's Sri Lanka visit

Sri Lankan animal rights activists take part in a demonstration in Colombo on April 3, 2025, to protest the round-up of stray dogs a day ahead of a visit by Narendra Modi. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Protest against dog crackdown ahead of Modi's Sri Lanka visit

SRI LANKAN animal rights activists marched on Thursday (3) to protest the round-up of stray dogs a day ahead of a visit by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

Authorities in Colombo and the Buddhist pilgrim city of Anuradhapura have reportedly deployed dog catchers to impound hounds ahead of Modi's visit, which begins on Friday (4).

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi hold a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Explained: Impact of US tariffs on Indian exports

The United States has announced a 27 per cent reciprocal tariff on Indian goods entering the American market.

Industry experts have said these duties will pose challenges for Indian exports, though India's position remains more favourable than some of its competitors.

Keep ReadingShow less