Gareth Southgate walks down memory lane to Kapil Dev-Sunil Gavaskar's era; expresses love for cricket: ‘Used to watch…’
Southgate walked down memory lane and recalled the time when he used to watch Test cricket all day during the legendary era of Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar.
Former England football team manager Gareth Southgate admitted to being a cricket fan as he travelled to India to watch a couple of Rajasthan Royals' matches in the IPL. Southgate showed his support towards the inaugural champions by wearing their T-shirt and sitting in their dugout. He was there at Eden Gardens to witness the edge of a thriller between KKR and RR, where the visitors suffered a nervy 1-run defeat in the end.
Southgate walked down memory lane and recalled the time when he used to watch Test cricket all day during the legendary era of Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar.
"Very often, when you play at Wembley, the crowd is a little bit quieter. I have always been a fan of cricket. When I was a young kid, I used to watch Test matches all day long. I mean, I am going back to the era of Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and players like that and then over the years, I got to know a lot of the players when I was playing for England, and I knew a lot of the England team. Last year, Ben Stokes came and talked to the England team. Also, with a lot of coaches, you learn a lot across sports, so that's really why I am here," Southgate said in a video posted by IPL and Rajasthan Royals on social media.
‘You learn a lot across sports’: Southgate
Southgate relinquished his position as England football team manager after the team suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the Euros 2024 final against Spain. Ahead of the Euros campaign, England Test cricket team captain Ben Stokes went to meet the football team. Southgate talked about Stokes's special visit.
“Last year, Ben Stokes came and talked to the England team. Also, with a lot of coaches, you learn a lot across sports, so that’s really why I am here,” Southgate said.
Southagate, who is currently on a break, talked about how important is to keep a track of things related to other sports has become important, while he shared his experience of visiting India.
“Every sport is evolving rapidly, so much that coaches share, medical teams share, and yeah, it’s always fascinating to go outside your field and learn from other people. As I said, I love the sport. So it’s lovely to come here, and I have loved coming to India. It is the first time I have been to India. It has been amazing," he added.
