New Delhi: The Delhi Capitals had a great time on Wednesday when they meet the most successful Olympian Michael Phelps. The franchise, co-owned by JSW and GMR, had a fun interactive session with the legendary swimmer and the players enjoyed their time with him, discussing cricket and also taking tips from the top sportsman on life on the fast track.
The Delhi Capitals’ squad played some cricket with the 33-year-old American and exchanged a few tips about their respective sports. Captain Shreyas Iyer, keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, South African all-rounder Chris Morris and pace bowler Ishant Sharma were seen interacting with Phelps, who concluded his career with 28 Olympic medals.
Chris Morris who joined the Delhi Capitals’ squad on Monday said he felt honoured to meet the legendary swimmer. “The man is an absolute legend. He is the all-time leading gold medal winner at the Olympics. It is quite an honour to interact with him. I was excited to see him today. Phelps is a name that is synonymous with Olympics. Two Olympians — Phelps and Usain Bolt — have become household names, and I’m really buzzing,” the South African said.
India’s pace spearhead Ishant echoed the sentiments. “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,” he said.
On meeting and watching the Delhi Capitals’ match against the Chennai Super Kings, Phelps said: “I don’t think cricket is my next sport, but I loved seeing the match with the Delhi Capitals. 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. Definitely, today has been about getting a couple of tips from the boys, starting with how to hold a bat. I’m sure I will be better prepared to play cricket when I visit India next,” he said. Rishabh Pant also shared a light moment with the swimming legend. When asked about how Pant would convince Phelps to play cricket, the young Indian said: “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: “That sounds good to me, and it means that I am coach-able, which makes me happy.”
