PM Modi Shares Hearty Laughter with Rohit, Kohli, and Dravid; Poses with India’s T20 World Cup Champions

PM Modi Shares Hearty Laughter with Rohit, Kohli, and Dravid; Poses with India’s T20 World Cup Champions

On November 19, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi last met the Indian cricket players. There was a sombre atmosphere. The cricketers had their heads hung low and their shoulders dropped. To lift their spirits, the PM had to grip Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma’s hands. Every player, as well as the members of the support personnel, received pats. It happened shortly after Australia defeated Team India in the Ahmedabad final of the ODI World Cup, which followed Team India’s run of ten straight victories.

A little more than seven months after the depressing events at the Indian dressing room, on July 4, 2024, PM Modi reunited with Team India in a totally different setting—his home in New Delhi. The grins had no boundaries. Miles away, the Indian cricket players’ special jerseys with the word ‘champions’ emblazoned in strong letters were visible. The BCCI emblem has brilliant stars shining atop it.

Team India, the 2024 T20 World Champions, were hosted by PM Modi at a private celebration at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. The PM was surrounded by a circle of players. PM Modi was positioned with head coach Rahul Dravid on his left and captain Rohit Sharma on his right. While starting batsman Virat Kohli and reserve player Jasprit Bumrah were seated to the left of coach Dravid, deputy captain of India Hardik Pandya was seated to the right of Rohit. The Prime Minister had open discussions and jokes with every Indian cricket player. Along with the team, he also posed for a picture holding the T20 World Cup trophy. The Men in Blue defeated South Africa by seven runs in Barbados on Saturday, June 29, to win the coveted T20 World Cup trophy for the second time.

Team India’s busy schedule after Grand Homecoming

The Indian team that had won the T20 World Cup arrived in Delhi on Thursday to a resounding welcome from the supporters, who were eager to see their idols and the trophy. After going through extensive security at the airport, the players arrived at ITC Maurya, where they rested for a few hours before seeing PM Modi. The players, coaches, and senior BCCI executives were the only ones who went to meet the PM; their families waited at the hotel. Before departing for Mumbai for the open bus parade, which is set to begin at 5 p.m., the players will head back to the hotel.

Also Read: India Cricketers Don ‘Champions’ Jersey to Meet PM Narendra Modi

As a result of Hurricane Beryl, a category four storm that blew through Barbados at the time, Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown was closed for three days, trapping the squad members, support staff, their families, and the media. The flight, which was scheduled by Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), left on July 2 and arrived in Delhi on Thursday morning at about 6:00 AM. On the flight were members of the tournament media contingent as well as board officials.