Gareth Southgate opens up about lifelong love for cricket, calls India visit ‘amazing’

Southgate at KKR vs RR match last Sunday (Pic: Screengrab/X)

Former England men's football team head coach Gareth Southgate recently expressed his long-standing admiration for cricket, calling his first visit to India an 'amazing' experience.

The football tactician was in attendance at Eden Gardens last Sunday, where he witnessed a breathtaking IPL 2025 clash between the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals.

The match proved to be a rollercoaster of emotions, with both sides exchanging momentum in a high-octane thriller. Chasing a daunting target of 207, Rajasthan Royals came heartbreakingly close but ultimately fell short by just a single run, allowing Kolkata to maintain their title defence hopes by the slimmest of margins.

Southgate, soaking in the electric atmosphere of the packed Eden Gardens, reminisced about his early days as a cricket fan. He recalled how he once spent entire days watching Test matches and admired the legendary Indian cricketers who graced that era.

"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 shared by the 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.

The contest featured 16 sixes, with Eden's sky frequently lit up by towering hits. When asked about his own six-hitting prowess, Southgate replied with a chuckle, 'one'.

In the match, Andre Russell's unbeaten 57 off 25 balls and Angkrish Raghuvanshi's impactful 44(31) helped Kolkata post 206/4. Despite Riyan Parag's explosive 95 off 45, Rajasthan narrowly missed out on the win.