On Wednesday, November 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the Indian cricket team, champions of the Women’s World Cup, for a meeting at his New Delhi residence. Continuing his tradition of acknowledging champion athletes as well as listening to their stories, the PM welcomed Harmanpreet Kaur and other team members about 4:30 PM IST at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. This invitation was two days following a formal invitation sent to the PMO from the BCCI.
The Indian team, under the leadership of Harmanpreet Kaur, made history on Sunday by being the first Indian team to win the Women's World Cup by defeating South Africa by 52 runs at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The victory marked the end of decades of sorrow and placed women’s cricket in India on an entirely new level. There was great excitement among the players arriving at the PM residence and the players spoke of their journey, memorable moments, and locations of inspiration.
Conversations beyond cricket with PM Narendra Modi
During the visit, Prime Minister Modi spoke to the players about many things that did not have to do with the pitch. Vice captain Smriti Mandhana said the Prime Minister encouraged them and was a great inspiration to do well at everything. Deepti Sharma recalled their meeting in 2017, when PM Modi told them to keep grinding to achieve their dreams. They also talked about personal symbols of strength like Deepti’s tattoo of Bhagwan Hanuman and her Instagram post with “Jai Shri Ram”.
Harmanpreet asked PM Modi about how he was able to remain present in every moment, to which PM Modi said it was a part of him and it was a habit. The Prime Minister also recounted memorable moments from the team’s World Cup run, like Harleen Deol’s famous catch against England in 2021, Harmanpreet pocketing the ball after the final, and Amanjot Kaur’s important catch after quite a few fumbles. PM Modi encouraged the team to focus on not just those moments but on the big prize, the trophy.
The Prime Minister also talked about fitness, saying the team needs to lead the Fit India Movement, especially for girls and to inspire young minds in schools across the country. Kranti Gaud mentioned when she was
