Ex-England Manager Gareth Southgate Awestruck By IPL Extravaganza: 'Going Back To The Era Of Kapil Dev And Sunil Gavaskar'

The Indian Premier League has already been a worldwide sensation. IPL has managed to bridge the gap between other sports and cricket to some major extent.

Gareth Southgate's IPL Experience Has Been Impressive

IPL 2025 has been a major hit. Except for Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, all the other teams are still fighting for playoff spots. Gareth Southgate's presence in the stands in IPL 2025 has hogged the limelight. The former England manager was spotted supporting the Rajasthan Royals from the stands. He first attended the match in Jaipur against the Mumbai Indians at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. The former Middlesbrough footballer was also at the Eden Gardens on May 4 when KKR picked up a slender one-wicket win over Riyan Parag's team.

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Southgate, who also happens to be an avid cricket fan, happens to be a good friend of Manoj Badale, Rajasthan's co-owner. In a video posted by the IPL, Southgate opened up on his IPL experience. 

"I've 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 and Sunil Gavaskar and players like that.

 "And then, over the years, 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 [football] team and so, also with a lot of the coaches, you know, you learn a lot across sports.”

Southgate further revealed that all the sports remain the same and coaches can learn so much off the field.

“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. You face so many similar problems and of course they are two world-leading players and incredible figures within the squad, so it's been a pleasure to spend time with them.”

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Rajasthan Royals Have Endured A Disappointing IPL Campaign

Rajasthan have had a disappointing run in IPL 2025. They failed to crack into the IPL playoffs and will now play their remaining games for pride. Sanju Samson's absence has hurt their ambitions, while the likes of Dhruv Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer haven't been at their best. Vaibhav Suryavanshi has emerged as one of the rare shining lights, while Yashasvi Jaiswal's form will be a good sign for the Indian Cricket Team.