New Delhi, February 22 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Indian-origin cricketers playing for foreign teams on Sunday, emphasizing the importance of "Bharatiya identity" and noting that wherever Indians travel, they maintain a strong connection to their "matribhumi" (motherland) while also contributing to the development of their "karmabhumi" (place of duty).
He highlighted the importance of sports in everyone's life, stressing that "One who plays, blooms", adding that sports "unite us".
Addressing the 131st episode of his monthly radio programme, 'Mann Ki Baat', PM Modi said, "Nowadays, you must be watching the T20 World Cup matches. I am sure that while watching a match, you must be eyeing a particular player. The jersey may belong to another country, but when you hear their name, you realize that they are from our country. This gives you a sense of pride because the player is of Indian origin and is playing for the country where his family settled."
"They step onto the field wearing the jersey of their country and wholeheartedly represent that nation," he said.
The Prime Minister noted that the Canadian cricket team has the highest number of Indian-origin players. He mentioned that the team's captain, Dilpreet Bajwa, was born in Punjab's Gurdaspur, and Naveneet Dhaliwal is from Chandigarh. He also mentioned the names of Harsh Thaker and Shreyas Movva, and said that several players like these are "making both Canada and India proud".
PM Modi also mentioned the USA cricket team, and said, "America's team has many players from India's domestic cricket. The American team's captain, Monank Patel, has played for Gujarat's U-16 and U-18 teams. Mumbai's Saurabh, Harmeet Singh, and Delhi's Milind Kumar are all proud of the American team."
He also stated that several players in the Oman cricket team have played in different states of India and mentioned the names of Jatinder Singh, Vinayak Shukla, Karan, Jai and Ashish.
"Indian-origin players are also creating a place for themselves in the teams of New Zealand, UAE and Italy too. Many such Indian-origin players are bringing pride to their countries and becoming an inspiration for the youth there," he said.
"This is the speciality of 'Bharatiya identity'. Wherever they go, Indians remain connected to the roots of their motherland, and they also contribute to the development of their 'karmabhumi'," the Prime Minister added.