‘Cricket Is More Than Just A Game In India’: PM Modi To Women’s World Cup Champions

Last Updated:November 06, 2025, 12:09 IST

PM Modi met the Indian women’s cricket team on Wednesday, congratulating them for their historic World Cup win. A video of their interaction was shared on Thursday.

PM Modi hosts champions of the Women’s World Cup (Video screengrab/ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the triumphant Indian Women’s World Cup team at his residence at Lok Kalyan Marg on Wednesday, congratulating them for their historic World Cup victory and lauding their “remarkable resilience and comeback”.

A video of their interaction was shared on Thursday, capturing the team’s heartfelt exchanges with the Prime Minister.

During the meeting, PM Modi praised the cricketers for overcoming a difficult start to the tournament, including three consecutive defeats and social media trolling, before staging a stunning turnaround to lift India’s maiden 50-over World Cup trophy.

“You all have done a very big job,” the Prime Minister said.

“In India, cricket is not just a game, it has become the life of the people. If everything goes well in cricket, the entire country feels good, but if there is anything wrong in cricket, the entire country shakes,” the Prime Minister added.

“I feel that you can be very motivational because you hold a great power of success in your hands. For example, let me tell you a small thing, when you go back home, there will naturally be euphoria and excitement. But after a few days, visit your school, the one from which you graduated, and spend a day there,” PM Modi said.

“Just talk to the children. They will ask you many questions, and you can answer whatever you feel comfortable sharing. I believe that the school will remember you, and those children will remember you for life,” the Prime Minister said.

“Team spirit matters the most. And team spirit isn’t just about what happens on the field. When you spend 24 hours together, a kind of bond forms naturally. Only then does true unity happen,” PM Modi added.

Head Coach Amol Mazumdar expressed gratitude on behalf of the team, saying, “We feel honoured and privileged coming here.”

“The daughters of the country have done wonders. They have been putting a lot of effort into it for the last two years. They have played with the same intensity and energy in every practice session,” Mazumdar said.

He also shared a story when the Indian Cricket Team met King Charles III in the United Kingdom, and said, “The support staff of the team manifested getting a photograph with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the month of November.”

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, during the team’s interaction with PM Modi, said, “We remember the last time we met you in 2017, we could not get the trophy, but we are really proud that this time, we have become the world champions.”

“We are really honoured to meet you. We aim to keep meeting you in the future as well,” she told the Prime Minister.

Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana also recalled their last meeting with the Prime Minister after the 2017 World Cup, when India had finished runners-up.

“When we met you in 2017, we could not bring the trophy. We asked you about your expectations, and your answer helped us a lot for the next six to seven years. I think it was in our destiny that we won the first World Cup in India. You have always been our inspiration,” she said, adding that seeing women excel in fields like ISRO continues to motivate the team.

She added, “The best part about this campaign is that every player contributed equally. The last time we met Prime Minister Modi, he spoke about expectations, and that answer was always in my mind, and it inspired me a lot.”

Also speaking during the interaction, cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues said, “A team is not defined by how many times you win. It is defined by how you can pick yourself up after a fall, and I feel that this team has done that the best, and that is why this team is a champion team. The unity in this team is the best I have ever seen.”

Cricketer Sneh Rana said, “As a team, as a unit, we had decided that no matter what, we will always stick with each other.”

During the interaction, cricketer and member of the Champion Indian Cricket team, Harleen Kaur Deol, asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his skin care routine.

PM Modi responded by saying, “I did not pay a lot of attention to this. I’ve been in government for 25 years now. Receiving so many blessings has a lasting impact.”

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.

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Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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