The ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed several instances of players losing their cool on the field, sparking widespread debate among fans and former cricketers alike, but former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes emotional outbursts are an inseparable part of sport, insisting that even the best role models can falter “in the heat of the moment”.
“Look, in the heat of the moment, things happen. So, I guess it is not that you teach youngsters anything. Anybody can snap, that is what happens,” Gavaskar said at the launch of the Midwicket Stories on Sunday.
Gavaskar also pointed out how the rise of social media and instant access to footage has amplified scrutiny around on-field incidents in modern cricket.
“I think today, everything is in the public domain a lot sooner than it was in the past. Like, for example, the clip that you saw of the 1981 incident (where he walked out in anger during the Melbourne Test against Australia), there have been videos of the whole incident. But when two people talked about it, that’s probably the first time people got to know what happened. So, it has taken that long,” he said.
“But now, thanks to public media, it is probably more immediate. It will probably come through a lot sooner.”
Gavaskar, now a noted commentator, added that while sportspersons strive to set the right example, perfection is impossible.
“Like with anything else, once you start getting up there, everybody tries to be the best role model they can be. That is how you are brought up. But all of us are human. So all of us, at some time — maybe some more times — will fail that standard. That is just natural because none of us is perfect,” he said.
Published on May 24, 2026
