Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) suffered a humiliating nine-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 match in Abu Dhabi on Monday (September  20) and while cricket fans were busy on social media hunting for reasons of such a massive defeat, RCB pacer Kyle Jamieson hogged the limelight for ‘flirting’ with massage therapist of the team.


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With the RCB score reading a dismal 53/4, the cameraman panned to the dugout during the 10th over of the innings. Jamieson was seen padded up as he was slated to come in at no. 8 but when the camera was on him, the tall paceman was seen smiling looking at the team’s massage therapist Navnita Gautam, who was sitting in the dugout.


As soon as it appeared on the TV, the image of Jamieson smiling flirtatiously went viral and fans have been curious to know all about Navnita since the incident.


Here’s everything you need to know about her:


  • Navnita Gautam is Canadian as she was born in Vancouver.
  • Born on April 11 in 1992, Navnita joined RCB as a sports massage therapist in 2019 and she was then the first and only female to be a part of the support staff of any of the 8 IPL teams. She has been assigned the work to identify and implement massage therapy to help the team and recover better before and during the season.
  • Navnita boasts of notable experience in her profession. Prior to joining the RCB support staff, she had worked with the Toronto Nationals team in the Global T20 Canada. Also, the 29-year-old has served as a support staff member for the Indian Women’s Basketball Team during their Asia Cup campaign.

Interestingly, in 2019, Navnita Gautam was asked if she had any apprehensions about being the only woman to be part of the support staff in RCB and across the entire IPL, to which she replied, “it’s like having 20 brothers around at all times.”


“Absolutely not. It’s like having 20 brothers around at all times. Slowly but surely, the transition is happening. I believe that as long as the players and support staff trust your work, gender shouldn’t be an issue as we are all healthcare professionals,” Navnita had told ESPNcricinfo.