Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has triggered fresh controversy by holding football superstar Lionel Messi responsible for the chaos at a recent event in Kolkata.
Gavaskar said the Argentine icon failed to honour his commitment, leaving thousands of fans angry and disappointed.
Sunil Gavaskar has described Lionel Messi as the “real culprit” behind the disorder that erupted during the “GOAT India Tour 2025” event in Kolkata.
The comments came after widespread criticism of organisers and authorities following the incident.
Gavaskar shared his views in a column for Sportstar, offering a sharply different take from the dominant narrative. According to him, accountability should rest with Messi and his entourage.
What went wrong at the Kolkata event
The event, held last Saturday at Salt Lake Stadium, descended into chaos after Messi made only a brief 20-minute appearance.
Fans, many of whom had paid to attend, reacted angrily to the short visit.
The situation escalated as frustrated supporters resorted to vandalism inside the stadium.
The incident quickly drew national attention and sparked debate over event management and crowd control.
Organisers arrested, authorities criticised
Following the unrest, event organiser Satadru Dutta was arrested by police. Local authorities were also criticised, with some observers blaming “VIP culture” and poor planning for the disorder.
However, Gavaskar argued that these explanations overlooked a key factor.
He said the focus shifted everywhere except where it truly belonged.
In his column, Gavaskar said Messi should be held responsible if he failed to meet the terms of his appearance.
He noted that while the details of Messi’s agreement were not public, fans had clearly expected a longer presence.
“Everyone was blamed except the person who failed to honour his commitment,” Gavaskar wrote.
He added that if Messi was meant to stay for an hour, leaving early amounted to letting down paying supporters.
Gavaskar also rejected claims that security issues forced Messi to exit early.
He pointed out that Messi’s appearances in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi passed without incident.
According to Gavaskar, those events ran smoothly because commitments were fulfilled.
This, he argued, undermines the justification given for the Kolkata disruption.
