The last time PM Narendra Modi met the Indian cricketers on 19 November 2023, the mood was sombre. The cricketers’ shoulders were dropped, and their heads hung low. The PM had to hold the hands of captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to cheer them up. Pats were given to all the players and the support staff members. It was moments after Team India, after winning 10 matches on the trot, lost to Australia in the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
Cut to 4 July 2024 – a little over seven months since those grim scenes at the Indian dressing room, PM Modi met Team India again, this time at his residence in New Delhi in completely contrasting scenarios. The smiles saw no bounds. The letters of the word ‘champions’ written in bold on the special jerseys of the Indian cricketers could be seen from miles away. The bright stars on top of the BCCI logo were shining.
PM Modi hosted Team India, the T20 World Champions 2024, at a private ceremony at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.
The players sat in a circle around the PM. Captain Rohit Sharma was to the right of PM Modi while head coach Rahul Dravid was to his left. India’s vice-captain Hardik Pandya was sitting to the right of Rohit while start batter Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah were seen sitting to the left of coach Dravid.
The PM candidly chatted with and laughed with all the Indian cricketers. He also posed for a photograph with the entire team and the T20 World Cup trophy.
The Men in Blue got hold of the prestigious T20 World Cup trophy for the second time, defeating South Africa by seven runs in Barbados on Saturday (June 29).
