Gavaskar Holds Messi Responsible for Abrupt End to Kolkata Fan Event

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has questioned the handling of Lionel Messi’s Kolkata visit, suggesting that the Argentine star and his entourage must share responsibility for the chaos that followed the abruptly cut short fan event at Salt Lake Stadium.

In his column for Sportstar , Gavaskar noted that thousands of fans who had paid significant amounts were left disappointed after Messi’s appearance lasted far shorter than expected. While blame was initially directed at organisers, politicians and crowd management, Gavaskar argued that accountability should begin with whether Messi honoured his commitment .

The exact terms of Messi’s agreement were never made public, Gavaskar wrote, but if the footballer was scheduled to remain at the stadium for a fixed duration and departed well before that time, then responsibility lay with him and his entourage. Fans, he pointed out, had paid good money expecting a proper interaction and deserved better.

Gavaskar also dismissed claims that security concerns forced Messi to leave early, stating there was no real threat to the player or those accompanying him. He suggested that even a simple on-field activity such as walking around the ground or taking a penalty kick would have ensured crowd satisfaction and naturally cleared space around the footballer.

The former cricketer further observed that Messi’s appearances in other Indian cities went smoothly, implying that the Kolkata controversy stemmed from unmet commitments rather than organisational failure .

He concluded that before placing blame on local organisers or others involved, it was essential to examine whether the promises made to fans were fulfilled by all parties concerned.