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"Used To Watch Kapil Dev" Gareth Southgate Reveals During KKR vs RR IPL Match

Jatin

Gareth Southgate is in India for IPL 2025 [Source: @IPL/x.com]Gareth Southgate is in India for IPL 2025 [Source: @IPL/x.com]

Former England football coach Gareth Southgate, known for leading the Three Lions with calmness and class, was seen at Eden Gardens on May 4 where he soaked in the madness of the IPL. The man who has guided England to multiple deep runs in major football tournaments was just another fan in the stands, cheering for Rajasthan Royals against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Gareth Southgate Opens Up On His Love For Cricket

In a chat with IPL, Southgate revealed about his love for the sport.

โ€œI have always been a fan of cricket,โ€ he said with a big grin. โ€œWhen I was a young kid, I used to watch Test matches all day long. Iโ€™m going back to the era of Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar.โ€

Over the years, cricket didnโ€™t drift far from his heart.

โ€œThen 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,โ€ added Southgate.

This was Southgateโ€™s second IPL outing of the season. He was first spotted in Jaipur during RRโ€™s game vs Mumbai Indians. And now, Kolkata.


Southgateโ€™s Coaching Legacy

Even though he didnโ€™t end Englandโ€™s long wait for a trophy, Southgate did bring a shift in mindset and respect to the England football camp. He took England to the 2018 World Cup semis, the Euro 2021 and Euro 2024 finals, and recently received a knighthood for his services to English football.

Meanwhile, the KKR vs RR IPL 2025 match at Eden Gardens wasnโ€™t short of drama either. Andre Russell rolled back the clock with a whirlwind knock as KKR posted a massive 206/4. RR responded strongly as captain Riyan Paragโ€™s near-century (95) almost took them home. However in the end, Kolkata edged them out by just one run.