New Delhi [India], November 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday met and congratulated the Indian women's blind cricket team at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence in New Delhi, praising their historic win in the inaugural Blind Women's T20 World Cup.
The team defeated Nepal by seven wickets in the final, maintaining an unbeaten streak throughout the tournament. Modi highlighted their achievement as a shining example of hard work, teamwork, and determination, stating that hard work never goes in vain.
PM Modi, while expressing his delight, offered sweets to every player of the blind cricket team and the coaching staff.
"Those who work hard, their hard work never goes in vain, not only in sports, but also in life. You have worked hard. You have made your mark. You must have gained a lot of confidence because of that. Earlier, if you wanted to talk to a teacher in your village, you would have thought whether to talk or not, but today, you are talking to the Prime Minister. When I meet you, I also feel that our country is doing very well. These children have so much courage," PM Modi said while interacting with the players.
The Indian women's blind cricket team presented Prime Minister Modi with an autographed bat as a gesture of gratitude, and he reciprocated by signing a cricket ball for the team.
Indian skipper Deepika TC, after the interaction with PM Modi, said, "I went to take a picture with Modi sir. He asked me if I sing. Suddenly, he asked me, and I don't know how he knew about this, and I was shocked. "
Indian vice-captain Ganga Kadam expressed her pride and nostalgia, saying her late father would have been thrilled to see her achievement. She recalled her father's admiration for PM Modi and how he had big dreams for her, feeling emotional about fulfilling his aspirations.
"My father had a big dream. He used to like him a lot [PM Modi]. But my father is no more. But, I am thinking that if my father had seen me now, he would have been thrilled," Ganga Kadam said.
Talking about the final match, India restricted Nepal to 114/5 in 20 overs after opting to field first. Indian batters didn't break a sweat while chasing a 115-run target. They scored 100 runs in the first 10 overs, ensuring there was no more threat.
Opener Phula Saren smashed 44 runs off 27 balls, including four boundaries, whereas Karuna K played a fiery knock of 27-ball 42 as India reached the target in the 13th over.
Saren was adjudged Player of the Match for a match-winning innings. It is a monumental achievement for the India Blind women's cricket team as they remained undefeated throughout the tournament to lift the prestigious title.
India won their opening game against Sri Lanka, followed by a 57-run win over Australia after failing to chase down the target of 293.
India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, chasing down the 136-run target in 10.2 overs. In the semi-final, they thrashed Australia by nine wickets and sealed the trophy with a one-sided win over Nepal.
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