The last time PM Narendra Modi met the Indian cricketers on 19 November 2023, the mood was sombre. The cricketers' shoulders were dropped, and their heads hung low. The PM had to hold the hands of captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to cheer them up. Pats were given to all the players and the support staff members. It was moments after Team India, after winning 10 matches on the trot, lost to Australia in the ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad.
Cut to 4 July 2024 - a little over seven months since those grim scenes at the Indian dressing room, PM Modi met Team India again, this time at his residence in New Delhi in completely contrasting scenarios. The smiles saw no bounds. The letters of the word 'champions' written in bold on the special jerseys of the Indian cricketers could be seen from miles away. The bright stars on top of the BCCI logo were shining.
PM Modi hosted Team India, the T20 World Champions 2024, at a private ceremony at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg.
The players sat in a circle around the PM. Captain Rohit Sharma was to the right of PM Modi while head coach Rahul Dravid was to his left. India's vice-captain Hardik Pandya was sitting to the right of Rohit while start batter Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah were seen sitting to the left of coach Dravid.
The PM candidly chatted with and laughed with all the Indian cricketers. He also posed for a photograph with the entire team and the T20 World Cup trophy.
The Men in Blue got hold of the prestigious T20 World Cup trophy for the second time, defeating South Africa by seven runs in Barbados on Saturday (June 29).
The T20 World Cup-winning Indian team touched down in Delhi on Thursday to a warm welcome from the fans awaiting the sight of their favourite heroes and the sight of the silverware.
The players then left the airport amid tight security to reach ITC Maurya, where they rested for a few hours before heading out to meet PM Modi.
Notably, only the cricketers, coaches and the BCCI top officials went to meet the PM while their family members waited at the hotel. The players will return to the hotel before flying to Mumbai for the open bus parade scheduled at 5 pm.
The flight was organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah and departed on July 2 before arriving in Delhi at around 6:00 AM on Thursday morning. Board officials and members of the media contingent from the tournament were also on the flight.
The squad members, support staff, their families and media were stuck in Barbados, which was hit by Hurricane Beryl, at that stage a category four hurricane that passed through Barbados, with Grantley Adams International Airport in Bridgetown shut for three days.
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