Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has stirred fresh debate around Lionel Messi’s brief appearance in Kolkata by shifting the focus from organisers to the football icon himself. Writing about the much-discussed Salt Lake Stadium episode, Gavaskar argued that criticism has unfairly targeted local organisers and VIP culture, while the key issue should be whether Messi fulfilled what was promised to fans.
According to Gavaskar, the incident was quickly labelled an organisational failure without first clarifying the superstar’s obligations. He highlighted the clear gap between public expectations and the actual duration of Messi’s presence at the stadium, pointing out that fans who paid to attend were left disappointed. Gavaskar acknowledged that the exact terms of Messi’s agreement are not public but stressed that if the footballer was scheduled to remain longer, leaving early amounted to a failure to honour commitments.
He also dismissed the suggestion that security concerns justified the early exit. While conceding that politicians and VIPs surrounded Messi, Gavaskar noted there was no evident threat that warranted cutting the appearance short. He further questioned what Messi was expected to do at the venue, suggesting that a planned football activity such as taking a penalty kick would have naturally created space and given fans the moment they had come to see.
Comparing the Kolkata event with Messi’s other appearances in India, Gavaskar observed that the smoother events shared one common factor: agreed commitments were fulfilled. He concluded by urging observers to verify whether obligations were met on both sides before placing blame on the city or its organisers.