India vs England 2016/17, 3rd ODI: Sunil Gavaskar To Ring Eden Gardens Bell Before Third ODI
Jan 22, 2017 at 10:41 AM
Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has been requested to ring the bell at the Eden Gardens before the third ODI match between India and England on Sunday (January 22).
Cricket Association of Bengal President Sourav Ganguly revealed it and said the practice will take place before all the international matches.
The former India skipper said:
“Sunil Gavaskar will be here On SUNDAY and we will request him to do this honour.”
“The practice of ringing the bell will continue in all international matches here,” he added.
The silver-coated bell was installed at the iconic stadium before the Test match between India and New Zealand last year, which was also the 250th Test for the hosts in India. The tradition of ringing the bell at the Eden Gardens was inaugurated by World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev.
The ringing of the five-minute bell was started in 2007 at the Lord’s. The bell is rung to notify the umpires and the players the start of the match.
Ganguly also said they were planning to ask India skipper Virat Kohli to do the honors but dropped the idea later.
“We also had plan to ask Virat Kohli to do this, but as he is a playing member (and captain also) of the team, it would be unwise for him to signal for the start of the game,” he concluded.