- Wednesday, May 08, 2024
The former captain got distracted by the incident and forgot to ask India batter Shreyas Iyer a question in a post-match analysis.
By: Shubham Ghosh
FORMER India captain Sunil Gavaskar was irked by an off-field incident while speaking in a post-match analysis at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal on Sunday (5) after India thumped South Africa by 243 runs in a World Cup 2023 match.
The 71-year-old legendary opener failed to ask a question to India batter Shreyas Iyer who joined the crew, including former India cricketer Ravi Shastri and presenter Mayanti Langer, and later he revealed the reason.
Gavaskar said he “got a bit distracted” when he saw an Indian Tricolour in the stands bearing a company’s name. He said it should be disallowed and urged the police to take action if something like that happened again.
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“Yeah, I wanted to ask him something, but I got a bit distracted because there was an Indian flag with a company’s name on it. And you know, that is really not allowed. The India flag cannot be defaced by anything,” the veteran said on air.
“They (the flag-bearers) have gone now. In fact, I believe the police, next time they see something like that, they should not only confiscate the flag, but also warn those people not to put any advertising or whatever it is, whether a company or their product, on the India flag. That is completely not all. I am sorry, I got a bit distracted. I know Ravi (Shastri) wanted me to ask Shreyas a question, but I was just looking at those guys, and trying to signal them,” he added.
Gavaskar had no complaints about the Indian team’s performance, however. Batting first, the hosts scored 326 for 5 in 50 overs, thanks to Virat Kohli’s record-equalling 49th one-day international hundred and Iyer’s 77, and then bowled out the Proteas for a paltry 83. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja picked five wickets for 33 runs.
The victory ensured India top position in the points table.
