Ravi Shastri got a cap signed by Jude Bellingham at The Hundred and admitted his daughter would not have let him come home without it.
“The autograph is for my daughter. She wouldn’t have allowed me home if I had not taken it.”
Ravi Shastri, on getting a cap signed by Jude Bellingham at The Hundred, August 1, 2026
Ravi Shastri got a cap signed by Jude Bellingham for his daughter at the Hundred ✍️ pic.twitter.com/IzHLJIN2wt
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) August 1, 2026
The former India head coach, currently part of Sky Sports’ commentary team for The Hundred 2026, was seen meeting Bellingham during the Birmingham Phoenix vs Welsh Fire match at Edgbaston on August 1. The image of the two shaking hands quickly went viral, with the crossover between cricket and football catching the attention of fans from both sports. Shastri, who recently ruled himself out of the chief selector role, has been a constant presence in the English summer broadcast circuit.
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When someone like Bellingham walks into a cricket ground as an investor, not just a guest, the energy in the venue shifts. Every broadcaster notices. Shastri did not just notice. He walked up, got the autograph, and told the world exactly why. That is the difference between someone who has spent decades in dressing rooms and broadcast boxes and someone who would have just watched from a distance.
Why Bellingham Was at Edgbaston
Bellingham was not at The Hundred as a casual spectator. The Real Madrid and England footballer holds a 1.2% stake in Birmingham Phoenix, a deal announced in April 2026 and valued at over £800,000. Half the equity came from Warwickshire County Cricket Club and the other half from affiliates of Knighthead Capital Management. He joins a growing list of high-profile figures entering franchise cricket ownership, similar to how Kavya Maran became the sole owner of a Hundred franchise earlier this season.
Bellingham grew up in Stourbridge, just outside Birmingham, and played cricket as a youngster before football took over his life.
“I feel like I owe the city something. Right now it’s difficult with how busy I am with football, but if there’s a way in which I can help then I want to and this feels like a good way.”
Jude Bellingham, Birmingham Phoenix investment announcement, April 2026
His presence at Edgbaston on August 1 was his first confirmed appearance at a Hundred match since becoming an investor. Birmingham Phoenix Women, led by Ellyse Perry, secured their first win of the season against Welsh Fire on the same day.
Shastri getting an autograph from a 22-year-old footballer for his daughter is not the kind of moment cricket usually produces. But it is exactly the kind of moment The Hundred was designed to create.
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