Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met the triumphant Indian women’s cricket team at his residence and lauded the players for their “remarkable resilience and comeback” in the World Cup after enduring a tough phase marked by three consecutive defeats.
The Prime Minister also referred to the trolling the players had faced on social media after the early setbacks and praised them for showing exemplary mental strength to bounce back and script history.
Recalling their earlier meeting with Modi after the 2017 World Cup, captain Harmanpreet Kaur said the team had then come without a trophy hopefully they will achieve success and get to meet him more often.
Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana said the Prime Minister’s words were a huge source of motivation.
The Harmanpreet-led side arrived in the national capital on Tuesday evening for the meeting, two days after scripting a defining moment for Indian women’s cricket by winning its maiden global title — the 50-over World Cup — with a 52-run victory over South Africa in the final in Navi Mumbai.
During the interaction, Player of the Tournament Deepti Sharma told Modi she had been waiting to meet him since 2017, recalling how he had then urged them to keep working hard to achieve their dream.
When the Prime Minister mentioned her “Jai Shri Ram” Instagram bio and the tattoo of Lord Hanuman on her arm, Deepti smiled and said they gave her strength.
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Harmanpreet asked Modi how he manages to stay in the present at all times. The Prime Minister replied that it had become a part of his life and a habit over time.
He also recalled some memorable moments from the team’s journey, including Harleen Deol’s spectacular catch against England in 2021, about which he had posted on social media.
The Prime Minister fondly referred to Harmanpreet pocketing the ball after the World Cup final. She said she lucky that the ball came to her.
In a lighter vein, Modi also spoke about Amanjot Kaur’s juggling catch in the final. While catching, you must have been seeing the ball, but after catching it, you must have been seeing the trophy, he joked.
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Kranti Gaud told the Prime Minister that her brother is a big fan of his, to which he extended an open invitation to meet him.
Modi urged the players to promote the Fit India message, especially among girls across the country. He expressed concern over the growing problem of obesity and emphasised the importance of fitness and physical activity.
He also encouraged them to visit their schools and inspire young minds to take up sports.
The players will now disperse to their respective hometowns. Shafali Verma, however, will head to Nagaland to lead the North Zone side in the upcoming Inter-Zonal T20 meet.
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India’s World Cup triumph marked a watershed moment for women’s cricket in the country, bringing to fruition years of toil and near-misses, as Harmanpreet’s side overcame formidable South Africa to become only the fourth team to lift the ODI title.
