Kuldeep Yadav Receives Signed Jersey from Messi During GOAT India Tour
Kuldeep Yadav's Memorable Moment with Messi
In a remarkable encounter, Indian spin bowler Kuldeep Yadav was gifted an autographed jersey by football superstar Lionel Messi during the latter's visit to New Delhi as part of his 'GOAT India Tour 2025'.
The Adidas India official account shared a photo of Kuldeep receiving the signed jersey, alongside other athletes like Sumit Antil, a two-time Paralympic javelin champion, and Nishad Singh, a para high-jumper with two Paralympic medals and a World Championship gold.
The images captured Antil holding a javelin next to Messi, who donned India's T20 jersey. Additionally, boxing champion Nikhat Zareen and ICC Women's World Cup bowler Renuka Singh Thakur were also present, with Messi signing a cricket ball for Renuka and an Argentina jersey for Nishad.
Kuldeep, an avid football enthusiast, is known for his support of FC Barcelona, the club where Messi made his mark before moving to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and currently Inter Miami.
Messi's GOAT Tour kicked off in Kolkata, followed by stops in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and finally Delhi on December 15.
During his time in Delhi, ICC Chairman Jay Shah presented jerseys to Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, and Luis Suarez at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Messi received a customized Team India jersey with the number 10, while Suarez and De Paul were given jerseys with numbers 9 and 7, respectively. Shah also extended an invitation to Messi for the upcoming T20 World Cup, handing him a ticket as a memorable gesture.
The tour concluded with Messi visiting Vantara, a wildlife conservation center in Jamnagar, Gujarat, before departing on Tuesday.
Notable moments from his visit included meetings with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and football icon Sunil Chhetri in Mumbai, as well as an exhibition match with Telangana's Chief Minister Revanth Reddy in Hyderabad, where he also met Rahul Gandhi.