Picture Credit: X/RR
Former England football manager Gareth Southgate was seen enjoying the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the iconic Eden Gardens on May 4. It wasn’t the first instance Southgate was spotted watching an IPL match. Earlier, the eminent football personality recorded his presence in the game between RR and Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on May 1. In that clash, he donned RR’s pink jersey and extended support to the 2008 champion side’s 'Pink Promise' initiative that promotes women-led transformation in rural areas of Rajasthan.
Southgate, who resigned as England’s head coach after the 2024 Euro Cup, looked stunned to witness electrifying ambiance at the iconic cricketing venue. He also revealed he has been a fan of cricket and during his younger days as a child, he used to watch Test cricket a lot. "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," said Southgate.
KKR pip RR in the intriguing clash in Kolkata
In the crucial contest at home, KKR held their nerves in the breathtaking game against RR, who were already evicted from the playoffs race. Batting first, Kolkata posted 206/4 in their 20 overs, riding on Andre Russell’s unbeaten 57 off 25 and Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s 44 off 31.
Pursuing the massive target, Rajasthan fell one run short. RR’s stand-in skipper Riyan Parag displayed fighting spirit and notched up 95 off just 45. KKR’s spin duo Varun Chakaravarthy (2/32 in four overs) and Sunil Narine (0/27 in four overs) exhibited discipline with the ball and delivered frugal spells to their team on the pitch, where batters were reigning. However, his courageous batting show couldn’t take RR home.
Kolkata will next host the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the iconic Eden Gardens on May 7. In their last game against Chennai at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 11, reigning champions outclassed the Yellow Army by eight wickets, chasing down 104 in just 10.1 overs.
