Gully cricket at Buckingham Palace: UK's Prince William plays with Ganguly, West Indies legend Brian Lara, Joe Root for a friendly session

Prince William picked up a bat and played gully cricket outside Buckingham Palace in London. Cricketers from India, England and the West Indies joined him for a friendly session, including Sourav Ganguly, Brian Lara and Joe Root. The event was held ahead of the Earthshot Prize awards in Mumbai this November.

The Royal Family posted a video of the session on YouTube. In it, the players talk about how the prince batted, and one of them says he would fit in at number six or seven.

Cricket On The Mall Players List

Along with Ganguly, Lara and Root, India’s Ajinkya Rahane and England’s Harry Brook were at the event. England women’s players Nat Sciver-Brunt and Danni Wyatt-Hodge also took part. Buckingham Palace was the backdrop.

Prince William Batting Skills

The cricketers were asked how the prince did with the bat. One of them said, “I think he’s definitely a batter rather than a bowler.” The player added that he “played some lovely shots.”

Sourav Ganguly said, “I think his skills are better than me at the moment because I picked up a cricket bat after eight or nine years.”

West Indies legend Brian Lara felt the prince put himself down too much. He noted that William is a big football fan and had said he does not know much about cricket. “I think his bowling needs a lot of work,” the player said. He said he would still pick him at number six or seven, the batter who comes in late and hits a couple of boundaries.

Brian Lara On Prince William

Lara said the prince made contact with a lot of deliveries and that he was impressed. He also shared a light moment from the game. “He did ask me why I was standing between two Englishmen after punishing them for 400 runs,” Lara said. He then pointed out that Root and Brook were not even playing back then.

Lara spoke warmly about the prince as well. “Just to be in his presence and to see how relaxed and humble he is, it’s amazing,” he said.

Prince William India Visit Cricket

Sourav Ganguly said the prince is coming to India next month with the Earthshot Prize Foundation. The player said William wanted to play cricket there too. “Cricket is huge in India,” the player told him, and a game for charity would be great.

Ganguly said India will welcome him warmly. He is kind, smiling and happy to shake hands and take pictures, the player said. “He will be loved in India,” the player added.

Earthshot Prize 2026 Mumbai Date

The Earthshot Prize was started by Prince William in 2020 and is meant to find and support ideas to protect the planet. Five winners get £1 million each year, and the prize was planned as a ten year effort. Sir David Attenborough is a founder along with the prince.

The sixth edition is the first one in India. Reportedly, the awards night will be held in Mumbai on November 17, 2026, and filmmaker Karan Johar reportedly is said to host the event. Earlier editions were held in London, Boston, Singapore, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro, according to reports.