New Delhi, Jun 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the Indian cricket team on the phone on Sunday and congratulated its members on their T20 World Cup win.
Modi congratulated Rohit Sharma for his splendid captaincy and appreciated his T20 career. He also lauded star batter Virat Kohli for his innings in the final, besides his overall contribution to Indian cricket.
Both the greats of the game announced their retirement from T20 internationals following the win.
Modi praised all-rounder Hardik Pandya for his final over and Suryakumar Yadav for his splendid catch on the boundary line to dismiss David Miller. Modi also talked highly of bowler Jaspreet Bumrah’s contribution.
The prime minister thanked outgoing coach Rahul Dravid for his contribution to Indian cricket.
In posts on X, the prime minister lauded Sharma, Kohli and Dravid.
About Sharma, he wrote, “You are excellence personified. Your aggressive mindset, batting and captaincy has given a new dimension to the Indian team. Your T20 career will be remembered fondly. Delighted to have spoken to you earlier today.”
Addressing Kohli, he said, “Like the innings in the finals, you have anchored Indian batting splendidly. You’ve shone in all forms of the game. T20 cricket will miss you but I am confident you’ll continue to motivate the new generation of players.”
Praising Dravid, he said his incredible coaching journey shaped the success of Indian cricket.
His unwavering dedication, strategic insights and nurturing the right talent have transformed the team, the prime minister added.
“India is grateful to him for his contributions and for inspiring generations. We are happy to see him lift the World Cup. Happy to have congratulated him,” he said.
The prime minister said the team showed excellent skill and spirit throughout the tournament. Each player’s commitment was very motivating, he added.
With all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also announcing retirement from T20 internationals, Modi praised his contribution to cricket.
“You have performed exceptionally as an all-rounder. Cricket lovers admire your stylish stroke play, spin and superb fielding. Thank you for the enthralling T20 performances over the years. My best wishes for your endeavours ahead,” Modi said.
Urges countrymen to “Cheer4Bharat” in Paris Olympics 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged the countrymen to cheer for the athletes as they aim to make India proud in the upcoming Paris Olympics, which start from July 26 onwards.
Team India will once again take to the field in the multi-sport extravaganza starting from July 26 and concluding on August 11. India will look to outdo its tally of seven medals from 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which included a gold, two silver and four bronze medals.
In his monthly radio programme Mann ki Baat, PM Modi said, “My dear countrymen, by this time next month, the Paris Olympics would have begun. I am sure that all of you would also be waiting to cheer for the Indian sportspersons in these Olympic Games. I wish the Indian team the very best for the Olympic Games. The memories of the Tokyo Olympics are still fresh in our minds.”
He said that the performances of Tokyo won the hearts of the country and following a landmark performance, various players started their mission Paris 2024 by preparing hard for the competition and taking part in overall nine hundred different events across the world.
“The performance of our players in Tokyo had won the heart of every Indian. Right after the Tokyo Olympics, our athletes were whole-heartedly engaged in the preparations for the Paris Olympics. If we take all the players together, then all of them have participated in nearly nine hundred international competitions. This is a very big number,” said PM Modi.
PM Modi said that there will be some firsts in the Olympics this time, saying, “Friends, in the Paris Olympics, you will get to witness certain things for the first time. In shooting, the talent of our players is coming to the fore. Both men’s and women’s teams have qualified in table tennis. Our shooter daughters are also part of the Indian shotgun team. This time, members of our team will compete in wrestling and horse riding in those categories as well, in which they had never participated before.”
“From this, you can make out that this time we will see a different level of excitement in sports. You might remember… a few months ago, we displayed our best performance in the World Para Athletics Championship. Our players have also won glorious laurels in chess and badminton. Now the whole country is hoping that our players perform well in the Olympics as well… win medals in these games and also win the hearts of the countrymen. In the coming days, I will also get an opportunity to meet the Indian team. I will encourage them on your behalf. And yes, this time our hashtag is #Cheer4Bharat.”
“Through this hashtag, we have to cheer our players… keep encouraging them. So keep up the momentum… this momentum of yours will help in showing the magic of India to the world,” he concluded.
This year has witnessed Indian sportspersons win some big laurels for the country. India secured its best-ever medal tally in World Para Athletics Championships in May held at Japan, with 17 medals, including six gold, five silver and six bronze medals. The 17-year-old chess sensation created history in April as he won the FIDE Candidates Chess Tournament 2024, becoming the youngest-ever challenger to the world title held by Ding Liren after an exciting final round in Toronto. (ANI)
