Watch: Gareth Southgate attends IPL 2025, recalls watching Sunil Gavaskar-Kapil Dev era Test matches

Gareth Southgate attends IPL 2025. (Photo: IPL)

Former England football manager Gareth Southgate was spotted donning the Pink jersey and supporting Rajasthan Royals in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). And now in a video shared on IPL's social media platforms, Southgate is heard talking about his love for the sport.

The ex-England boss disclosed that he had been a cricket enthusiast since he was a kid, and how he enjoyed watching the traditional format of the match.

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“Very often, when you play (football) 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,” Southgate told the IPL’s social media team in an interaction.

“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 added.

' Passion for cricketFormer England football manager Gareth Southgate is soaking up the #TATAIPL experience with #RRAnd more...#KKRvRR | @rajasthanroyals pic.twitter.com/doadVgHWnX
IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2025

Southgate also mentioned how managers of top sports teams can learn from other sports.

He added: “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.”