Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the India Women’s National Cricket Team players at his residence at Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi on Wednesday, November 5.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India Women’s National Cricket Team also presented a signed “Namo” jersey to PM Narendra Modi as a mark of respect following their triumph in the home World Cup.
India beat South Africa to lift the first-ever World Cup
Team India locked horns with Team South Africa in the final of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai.
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South Africa Women’s National Cricket Team won the toss and invited India to bat first in the match. The hosts did a great job while batting first and piled up a huge score of 298/7 on the board. Shafali Verma was the star of the innings and she smashed an aggressive 87 runs off 78 balls, with 7 fours and 2 sixes.
Deepti Sharma also hit an excellent half-century while Smriti Mandhana (45), Richa Ghosh (34), Jemimah Rodrigues (24), and Harmanpreet Kaur (20) also chipped in with crucial runs.
Defending the target, the hosts kept picking up the wickets at regular intervals, and Deepti Sharma removed Laura Wolvaardt after her century to all but seal the win.
Sharma bagged a historic 5-wicket haul, while Shafali Verma picked up two wickets, and Shree Charani got one wicket as India bowled out South Africa for 246.
PM Narendra Modi meets the World Champions
After making India proud, Harmanpreet Kaur & Co. were invited by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to his residence at Lok Kalyan Marg. He had a healthy conversation with the players and congratulated them on a historic win.
India’s journey to the World Cup triumph was not an easy one, as they faced heavy criticism after losing three matches on the trot, and PM Modi praised the team for a stunning comeback
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur recalled a meeting with PM Modi after they lost the 2017 World Cup, and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana told the Prime Minister that he motivated the team and has played a major role in girls excelling in all the fields in the country.
Meanwhile, Player of the tournament Deepti Sharma told the PM that she had been waiting to meet him, and the BJP leader discussed the Jai Shri Ram written on her Instagram bio and the tattoo of Bhagwan Hanuman she has on her arm.
Harmanpreet Kaur asks a cheeky question to the PM
Meanwhile, Harmanpreet Kaur further asked a cheeky question to PM Modi, questioning how he always manages to stay in the present, to which he calmly replied that it has become a part of his life.
After recalling the iconic catch of Harleen Deol in 2021, the PM spoke about the sensational juggling catch picked up by Amanjot Kaur in the final to send back the Proteas captain.
The PM, in a light-hearted manner, told Kaur that she must be seeing the ball, but after the catch, she must be seeing the trophy. PM Narendra Modi also gave an invitation to Kranti Gaud’s brother after she told him that he is one of his big fans and urged the girls to take forward the message of Fit India movement.
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