Rishi Sunak rooting for RCB in IPL 2025 final: 'Cheered them from Downing Street'

Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Pic credit: Special arrangement)

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Rishi Sunak with India's Suryakumar Yadav and England's Jos Buttler. (Pic credit: Special arrangement)

IPL 2025 Final, RCB vs Punjab Kings: The wait will finally end in Ahmedabad

Diplomacy meets cricket

Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has openly declared his allegiance to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings, calling the team his own due to deep personal ties. "I'm married into a Bangalore family, so RCB is my team," Sunak tells TimesofIndia.com, recalling how he proposed to his wife Akshata Murty in Kannada — a language he admitted he hadn't quite mastered at the time.The former British leader, in India to cheer on RCB who are seeking their first IPL title, revealed that his in-laws gifted him an RCB jersey when he got married, and that he's followed the team closely ever since."We went to matches a long time ago and I used to cheer them on in Downing Street," he shares, adding that last year's campaign was especially thrilling to watch.Sunak named Virat Kohli as his favourite player, calling him a "total legend" and proudly mentioning a signed bat gifted to him by Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during his tenure at Downing Street. "It's one of my prized possessions," he says.But Sunak isn't only counting on the Indian superstar. "I'm also hoping for a big contribution from RCB's English contingent — Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone — let's bring it home," he adds, as Bengaluru look to secure their maiden IPL title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.Beyond his personal fandom, Sunak applauded the Indian Premier League 's transformative effect on world cricket."The IPL has transformed cricket. Every cricketer, everywhere, wants to play in the IPL at some point in their career now," he says, noting its developmental impact on English players. "I was at Edgbaston last week watching England vs West Indies. Jacob Bethell played a brilliant innings. The IPL has improved him as a player."Sunak also highlighted the IPL's (WPL) contribution to women's cricket and broader cultural influence. "It's been great for the women's game, getting more girls into the sport. But it's also a sign of the influence that India now has in the 21st century. India's passions, India's tastes now have global impact."He concluded with a nod to cricket's return to the Olympics at Los Angeles in 2028. "Why is cricket back in the Olympics for the first time in 100 years? Because of India."Sunak also underscored cricket's unique ability to serve as a diplomatic tool despite the historic rivalry on the field using his relationship with Australian PM Anthony Albanese and India's PM Narendra Modi."Prime Minister Albanese and I always had great cricket banter — especially during the Ashes, where at one point it got a tiny bit heated, but all in a friendly way," he laughs. "And Prime Minister Modi and I always had great cricket chat before we got down to business.""Cricket reminds you who your friends are and your shared passions. It puts everyone in the right frame of mind before you get down to the serious diplomatic stuff," he adds, looking ahead to India's tour of 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."

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