From one famous Bengaluru son-in-law to another, more famous one. Former British Prime Minister, Conservative politician Rishi Sunak who will attend the IPL final, announced his cricket loyalties by uttering the words ‘Ee Sala Cup Namde!’ as he revealed he was a Royal Challengers Bengaluru fan.
It is fairly well known that IPL teams have international followings, and when asked which side was his, Sunak made it clear. “I’ll give you a clue — Ee Sala Cup Namde!” he told TimesofIndia.com. “Hopefully, my pronunciation has improved since I proposed to Akshata 16 years ago in Kannada where, truth be told, I’m not entirely sure she knew what I was talking about!” he joked about the smattering of the RCB home tongue.
His reasons for supporting them were fairly straightforward. “But obviously, I’m married into a Bengaluru family, so RCB is my team. We went to matches together a long time ago, and actually, Akshata’s mother and father got me this shirt when we got married, which is great,” he continued.
The former UK premier said he used to cheer them on in Downing Street, “especially last year’s charge, which was fantastic to watch — and it’s a privilege to be here in India cheering them on in the final.”
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Noting that cricket was back in the Olympics for the first time in 100 years — because of India, he said the IPL had transformed cricket. “I think every cricketer, everywhere, wants to play in the IPL at some point in their career now. And just look at the English players who’ve been involved and they’re getting better. I was at Edgbaston last week watching the England vs West Indies ODI — Jacob Bethell played a brilliant innings. The IPL has improved him as a cricketer,” he noted.
“It’s also been great for the women’s game, getting more girls into the sport. But beyond that, it’s a sign of the influence India now has in the 21st century. India’s passions, India’s tastes — they now have a global impact. Why is cricket back in the Olympics for the first time in 100 years? Because of India,” he repeated.
He said cricket wasn’t just about big stadia but also ruling the streets. “I love cricket in India the passion, the skill, the enthusiasm. Watching a game, you can see just how much it means to everyone. There’s a brilliant intensity to it, whether it’s gully cricket or a Test match. What’s also really special is that cricket is everywhere on every street, there are people playing and then the whole country comes together for the big moments. That’s really special.”
He unsurprisingly named Virat Kohli as his favourite cricketer, whose signed bat he had received as PM.
“Now, in terms of my favourite players obviously, I’m a massive Virat Kohli fan. He’s a total legend. One of my prized possessions is a signed bat of his that Minister (oEA) Jaishankar brought me when I was Prime Minister, as a Diwali gift, to Downing Street — which is amazing,” he said.
He also had great hopes from the English featuring in the final. “But of course, I’m also hoping for a big contribution from RCB’s English contingent — Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, let’s bring it home!”
Not being Prime Minister had its previous perks. “Earlier this year, I was in India to watch the England–India match at the Wankhede, but that morning I had time to go down to the Parsee Gymkhana and the Maidan in Mumbai to play some tennis ball cricket with youngsters. I couldn’t have done that when I was Prime Minister, and I had so much fun. It was truly life-affirming their enthusiasm was totally infectious. Some of the best bowling I’ve ever faced! I channelled my inner Joe Root, tried to hit a few good drives it was a fantastic morning,” he said.
He also said it had helped break some Ashes ice with his Aussie counterpart. “Cricket is such a helpful diplomatic tool. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and I have always had great cricket banter, especially during the Ashes series — at one point, it even got a tiny bit heated between us, but all in a very friendly way.
Prime Minister Modi and I also always had great cricket chats before getting down to business.
The thing about cricket is that it reminds you who your friends are and what you share — your passions — and that puts everyone in the right frame of mind before tackling the serious diplomatic stuff,” he said.
“India are coming to England this summer. It’s going to be a great tour, and I know it will strengthen the partnership and friendship between our two countries,” he ended staidly.
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