Sunil Gavaskar revealed how he got to know about his sister, Kavita's love story, with his teammate, Gundappa Viswanath, during the disciplinary hearing.
Sunil Gavaskar is one of the most talented cricketers in India, whose courtesy to the Indian cricket team is unmatchable. While his professional life is an open book to everyone, not everyone is aware of the fact that Gavaskar's sister, Kavita is married to one of his Indian teammates. Yes, Sunil Gavaskar's sister, Kavita got married to the former Indian crickter, Gundappa Viswanath back in 1978. The duo has a son, Daivik. In an old interview, Gavaskar shared how he got to know about his sister's love story with Gundappa Viswanath after failing to get the hint from the latter.
While conversing on the 25th anniversary of the CHAMPS Foundation, Sunil Gavaskar revealed how he found out about his sister, Kavita's relationship with his teammate, Gundappa Viswanath. Gavaskar shared that it came as a surprise for him. He mentioned how Viswanath actually gave him a hint while singing a Hindi song, but he somehow couldn't get the same. Gavaskar could be quoted as saying:
"He had been dropping a hint, but maybe I wasn’t able to take it. On one of the tours, he was singing a (Bollywood) song: ‘Main kahi kavi na ban jaoon tere pyar me ae Kavita!"
In the same interaction, Sunil Gavaskar revealed that he actually found out about Viswanath and Kavita's love story in the middle of a meeting with BCCI. The cricketer stated that one day, he was called for a disciplinary hearing from BCCI, as in one of the articles, he called the selectors ‘court jesters'. Gavaskar stated:
"I was hauled up by the BCCI for writing an article where I called the selectors ‘court jesters.’ So, they called me for a disciplinary hearing at a hotel in Bangalore. And then we took a break for lunch, and till then no progress was really made. At lunch, when I came back to my room, I found (B) Raghunath (Viswanath’s brother), who asked me if I had spoken to my father (Manohar)."
He shared that when he was in his room during his lunch break, he saw Viswanath's brother, who asked the cricketer if he had talked to his dad. Being surprised, Gavaskar asked what he should be talking about to his dad, and that's when Raghunath (Viswanath's brother) shared Kavita and Viswanath's love story. Sunil Gavaskar could be quoted as saying:
"Taken aback, I asked him: ‘Why should I speak to my father?’ ‘You need to speak to your father about Kavita and Vishy,’ he replied. So, it came bang in the middle of a disciplinary hearing, where my mind was completely elsewhere! That’s when I came to know. All of us in the family are delighted that everything went on smoothly. Viswanath’s son will get married in a couple of months’ time. We’re very proud of Vishy.”
Back in 1971, Gavaskar and Gundappa were on the same team during the match of India vs West Indies. Well, after they returned to India, Gavaskar took Gundappa to their home. Moreover, it was love at first sight for Gundappa and Kavita. And this was only when Gundappa arrived at Gavaskar's house that he met Kavita, and instantly fell in love with her. It was after a few years, that the couple got married to one another.
Gundappa Viswanath is a former Indian cricketer who made his test debut back in 1969 and participated in a total of 91 tests for India. He made a total of 6080 runs, along with 14 centuries and 35 half-centuries. In ODIs, too, he showcased his skills and scored a total of 439 runs, while in first-class cricket, he has scored more than 17000 runs. It was Gavaskar, who once praised his brother-in-law cum friend and stated that throughout his cricket career, he came across several players, but none of them made cricket look easier than 'Vishy'.
What do you think about Gavaskar's revelations about his sister and teammate's love story?
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