Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his official two-day visit to Colombo, received a warm welcome from cricketing legends of Sri Lanka’s 1996 ICC World Cup-winning team on Saturday. The iconic cricketers, who etched their names in history with the island nation’s only World Cup triumph, expressed admiration for the Indian leader.
Among those present at the special interaction were Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, Chaminda Vaas, Marvan Atapattu, Romesh Kaluwitharana, and Kumara Dharmasena. The players shared personal impressions about the meeting and lauded PM Modi’s influence and contributions in strengthening the India-Sri Lanka diplomatic ties.
Former Sri Lanka pace bowler Chaminda Vaas said, “It’s a great honour to meet PM @narendramodi personally. We talked about sports and how in 1996 we (Sri Lanka) won the World Cup. Prime Minister Modi is the most powerful leader in South Asia. His cricket knowledge is very good.”
Legendary opener Sanath Jayasuriya, known for his explosive batting during the 1996 campaign, said: “It was a great experience meeting PM @narendramodi. He explained nicely how he developed India as a nation.”
Middle-order stalwart Aravinda de Silva, who played a key role in the 1996 final, described the encounter as memorable, saying, “He is a person well respected around the world and he has done so much for India. Being Prime Minister three times running is remarkable.”
