T20 Mumbai League: Sunil Gavaskar urges players to uphold sportsmanship

Sunil Gavaskar at the opening ceremony on Saturday. Pic/PTI

Legendary batsman and Commissioner of the T20 Mumbai League (TTML), Sunil Gavaskar urged captains of the six teams to play hard, but fair and also set an example about the integrity of the game as the inaugural edition of the tournament begins today at the Wankhede Stadium.

"As Commissioner, I can say that there will be zero-tolerance for anything that brings the game into disrepute," Gavaskar warned on Saturday during the opening ceremony. While highlighting the importance of fairplay and sportsmanship, Gavaskar advocated that winning should not come at any cost.

'Play hard and fair'
"I know you should play hard and in a fair manner, but I would also urge you to not try and win at the cost of sportsmanship, honesty and integrity," said Gavaskar. "We are seeing what's happening in other countries, we don't want that kind of a situation here. We don't want animosity between players because at the end of the day, this is just a sport," he added, referring to the recent ugly spat between Australian opening batsman David Warner and South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.

Meanwhile, T20 Mumbai League's brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar wants the players to respect the game.

Respect the game: Sachin
"My message to all youngsters here is you have to be competitive, you have to play as hard as you can. Above all, you should not forget that the game has brought you here. So, don't disrespect the game," said Tendulkar.

Also read: Sunil Gavaskar named the Commissioner of T20 Mumbai League

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