News Brief
'We Were Heartbroken, PM Modi's Visit Helped Us A Lot': Shami On Team India's World Cup Final Loss
Swarajya Staff
Dec 14, 2023, 02:53 PM | Updated 02:53 PM IST
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Mohammed Shami, the star pacer, became a sensation following his outstanding performance for Team India in the recently ended ODI World Cup 2023.
Even though he didn't play in the first four games of the tournament, Shami rose to become the top wicket-taker, claiming 24 wickets.
His exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Tournament award. However, despite his efforts, Team India couldn't secure the World Cup trophy, losing to Australia in the final showdown.
Following India's defeat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the team in their dressing room and comforted them. The video of that meeting was extensively circulated.
During this interaction, PM Modi hugged Shami, praising him for his performance. This video clip became a sensation on social media, eliciting a range of responses from the viewers.
During an interview with Aaj Tak on Wednesday, Shami disclosed that the Indian cricket team was caught off guard by the Prime Minister's visit, as it was an unexpected event for them.
"We were heartbroken after the loss and were sitting dejectedly. It was like our hard work of two months got negated due to just one match. It was our bad day and we were dejected but when the PM enters, you have to keep your head high. We were not even told that Modiji was coming there and suddenly he entered. Earlier, we were not even in the mood to eat and talk to each other but when he came, it was such a big surprise for us," said Shami.
"We got shocked when he entered the room. He then came and spoke to all of us. And it was actually after that moment that we started talking to each other. We talked and said that we need to move on from this loss. So, PM Modi's visit helped us a lot," he added.
After the Indian cricket team's defeat, Prime Minister Modi wrote a special message on X
He wrote: "Dear Team India, Your talent and determination through the World Cup was noteworthy. You've played with great spirit and brought immense pride to the nation. We stand with you today and always".
Shami is presently undergoing medical treatement and is anticipated to rejoin the Indian cricket team for the Test series in South Africa, commencing on 26 December.
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