Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has revealed that he supports the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League. He hinted that the decision was based on Shubman Gill, who captains the side.
The former England defender took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, April 12, posting that he was watching the IPL clash between the Titans and Lucknow Super Giants to kick off his day. He added that it would be followed by Chelsea vs Manchester City at Stamford Bridge, followed by a live session for his podcast, and the Masters.
"Super Sunday… Feet up! First up… Let's goooo @ShubmanGill @gujarat_titans Then let's see if City put pressure on Arsenal. Then Rio Presents Live Finishing off with Rory winning the Masters 🤣👍🏽"
It was not the first time Ferdinand had posted about Gill. In February this year, the Manchester United legend said that he was impressed with the Indian cricket and said on Instagram:
"I meet a lot of sports stars on my travels, but not many have shown me their curious mind so quickly, like Shubman. After sitting down and ordering our soft drinks, I sensed curiosity through detailed questions about my football journey as a player, about leadership & relationships, all stemming from a huge desire (I felt) for Shubman to draw parallels where he could apply to his world of cricket. Now who knows what he takes from what I said or if anything I said resonates, but my point is for someone so young to quickly set about probing, questioning, exploring different things with the only aim being to better himself." (via ANI)
Ferdinand also replied to a fan today, revealing that he would be traveling to India this season to watch IPL games in the stadium.
Manchester United owners fail in bid to buy IPL teams
The Glazers, owners of Manchester United, have been trying to buy an Indian Premier League club for years. Sky Sports reported in 2021 that they were in the running when tenders were issued for new franchises in Lucknow and Ahmedabad, but failed to win the bid.
They launched bids for the Rajasthan Royals and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru earlier this year, but once again fell short. The State of Play reported that the bids were $1.2 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively, but they did not manage to secure either franchise.
Manchester United now have co-owners in the Premier League, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe having 27.7% stake.