Sunil Gavaskar accuses Lionel Messi of being ‘real culprit’ behind Kolkata chaos as he makes pointed remark about failing to honour commitment

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has accused Lionel Messi of being the ‘real culprit’ behind the chaos that erupted during his GOAT Tour in Kolkata, saying the footballer failed to honor his commitment.

Messi made his first stop of his three-day GOAT Tour of India at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday, December 13, where thousands gathered to see him. However, things went awry after Lionel Messi’s lap of honor at the 85,000-seat capacity stadium was cut short, with spectators also denied a proper glimpse of the Argentine legend.

Agitated fans vent their disappointment by resorting to vandalism and throwing debris onto the pitch. While many blamed the organizers for the disarray, Gavaskar pointed fingers at Messi and his entourage.

“Even the recent episode at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, where the Argentinian footballer, Lionel Messi, made a far shorter appearance than promised, was blamed on everyone except the person who failed to honour his commitment,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar. “What his agreement was is not public knowledge, but if he was meant to be at the stadium for an hour, then by leaving well before that time and disappointing fans who had paid good money, the real culprit was he and his entourage.

The 76-year-old also dismissed claims of security concerns, insisting there was no security threat to Messi or his entourage. He continued:

“Yes, he was surrounded by politicians and so-called VIPs, but there was no security threat to him or his entourage. Was he supposed to simply walk around the stadium, or do something tangible like take a penalty kick? If it were the latter, those around him would automatically have had to move, and the crowd would have seen their hero do what they had come to watch.”

Sunil Gavaskar explains why Lionel Messi’s appearance in other cities ‘went smoothly’

Lionel Messi visited four cities during his three-day GOAT Tour of India. The same day after his appearance in Kolkata, Messi headed to Hyderabad, where he met with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, whom he shared a few passes with.

The following day, he visited Mumbai and flew to Delhi on Monday. Unlike Kolkata, the three other cities provided a much-refined experience for the Inter Miami forward and fans.

For Gavaskar, Messi’s appearance in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi went smoothly because he honored his commitment.

“The other appearances went smoothly because commitments were met. So before blaming fellow Indians in Kolkata, it might be worth checking whether commitments on both sides were honoured,” he said.

Edited by Ezekiel Olamide