Harpal Singh Bedi / New Delhi
Putting behind their dismal showing against CSK in yesterday’s IPL match, Delhi Capitals had a fun interactive cricket session with the most successful Olympian of all-time, swimmer Michael Phelps here on Wednesday.
The Delhi Capitals’ players, seeking solace, played some cricket with the 33-year-old American and were seen exchanging a few tips about their own respective sports.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, South African all-rounder Chris Morris, and pace-bowler Ishant Sharma, had an interaction with Phelps, who ended his career with 28 Olympic medals to his name.
Talking about meeting the Delhi Capitals squad and watching the match against the Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday, Michael Phelps was candid enough to admit that Cricket is not his sport.
, “I don’t think cricket is my next sport but I loved seeing the match with the Delhi Capitals yesterday. It was nice to see how excited the crowd was, and to see how the players shift when there is a change of ends, or a dismissal. I loved watching the sixes yesterday, and definitely today has been about getting a couple of tips from the boys, starting with how to hold a bat. So I’m sure I will be better prepared to play cricket when I visit India next.”
Rishabh Pant was asked about how he would convince Phelps to play cricket, he replied, “I would just tell him that he is most welcome to stay at my place for as long as he wants, where I can teach him how to play the sport.”
The 33-year-old American replied with, “That sounds good to me, and it means that I am coach-able which makes me happy.”
South Africa’s Chris Morris, who joined up with the Delhi Capitals’ squad late Monday evening, spoke on how it felt to meet the legendary swimmer.
“Like I said the man is an absolute legend. He is the all-time leading Gold Medal winner at the Olympics. It is quite an honour for us to interact with him and I am very excited to see him today. Michael Phelps is a name that is synonymous with Olympics, and there are two Olympians who have become household names, and it is Phelps and Usain Bolt so I’m really buzzing.”
“It was a great opportunity for all of us to have met him. You know he’s a world champion and we shared a few moments with him as well. He has been a huge motivation to athletes around the world over the years, and it was the same for all of us at the Delhi Capitals today,” said Ishant Sharma.
Delhi Capital will be looking forward to get back to winning ways when they play their third match of the IPL 2019 season against the Kolkata Knight Riders on 30h March at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi.