Former England football manager Gareth Southgate talked about his love for cricket and his experience of visiting India for the first time.
Southgate, who served as the English coach for eight years, was in the stands of the thrilling match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
In the match, that turned multiple times, RR's 206-run chase went right down to the wire. KKR came out on top after the last bowl as they won by one run to keep its title defence hanging by a thread.
Southgate, who was thrilled after the match, recalled the the time when he used to watch Test cricket all day long, in an era where legendary Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar used to dominate with their performances.
"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 Instagram.
"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.
RR and KKR together hit 16 sixes in the nerve-biting encounter. When asked to rate his six-hitting ability, Southgate jokingly replied, "One".
Andre Russell's six sixes in the knock of 57* from just 25 balls and Angkrish Raghuvanshi's supporting role of 44(31) propelled Kolkata to a daunting 206/4.
In reply, stand-in captain Riyan Parag beamed confidently and delivered a stunning knock of 95(45), which included six consecutive sixes spread across two over, to take his side closer to the sweet taste of victory. However, his efforts went in vain as they agonisingly fell short by a run.
Southgate, who served as the English coach for eight years, was in the stands of the thrilling match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.
In the match, that turned multiple times, RR's 206-run chase went right down to the wire. KKR came out on top after the last bowl as they won by one run to keep its title defence hanging by a thread.
Southgate, who was thrilled after the match, recalled the the time when he used to watch Test cricket all day long, in an era where legendary Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar used to dominate with their performances.
"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 Instagram.
"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.
RR and KKR together hit 16 sixes in the nerve-biting encounter. When asked to rate his six-hitting ability, Southgate jokingly replied, "One".
Andre Russell's six sixes in the knock of 57* from just 25 balls and Angkrish Raghuvanshi's supporting role of 44(31) propelled Kolkata to a daunting 206/4.
In reply, stand-in captain Riyan Parag beamed confidently and delivered a stunning knock of 95(45), which included six consecutive sixes spread across two over, to take his side closer to the sweet taste of victory. However, his efforts went in vain as they agonisingly fell short by a run.
You may also like
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz pull out of Met Gala appearance amid family feud
Steve McManaman tells Trent Alexander-Arnold what he must do next after leaving Liverpool
IPL 2025: Rain plays spoilsport as Sunrisers Hyderabad crash out of playoff race
Sam Thompson 'loved up' as he's spotted holding hands with Samie Elishi
How India's first female sociologist-anthropologist, named after a river, carved her own course defying Nazis, caste and conventions
