Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka. On Friday, he received a grand welcome in the country. On Saturday, PM Modi was honored with Sri Lanka’s highest civilian award, the “Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushan.” During his visit to Colombo, PM Modi also met with members of Sri Lanka’s 1996 Cricket World Cup-winning team. He shared a picture of this special moment on social media.
Agency, Colombo
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on an official two-day visit to Sri Lanka, where he was conferred the prestigious “Sri Lanka Mitra Vibhushan” award. During his visit, he met with legendary players from Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning cricket team, including Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Aravinda de Silva, Marvan Atapattu, and others. This team made history by defeating Australia in the final in Lahore to bring home Sri Lanka’s first-ever World Cup title.
PM Modi Shares the Moment
Following the meeting, PM Modi posted a photo on social media platform X. In his post, he wrote:
“Connected through cricket! It was a pleasure to interact with the players of the 1996 Sri Lankan cricket team. This team has captured the hearts of countless sports fans!”
What Did the Sri Lankan Players Say After Meeting PM Modi
Several Sri Lankan players spoke to the media after the meeting, highlighting the strong cricketing ties between India and Sri Lanka.
Marvan Atapattu, who scored 14,036 runs in 360 matches across formats for Sri Lanka, said:
“It was an extraordinary meeting. We are fortunate to have met such a strong leader who has taken India to new heights. Meeting the Prime Minister today was an honor and a privilege—it felt like a dream come true.”
Aravinda de Silva, who scored a match-winning century in the 1996 final against Australia, said:
“He is a respected figure globally and has done a lot for India. Becoming the Prime Minister of such a large country for a third time is a remarkable achievement. His impact on the country is significant. It was a great conversation, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Sanath Jayasuriya said:
“It was truly wonderful to meet the Prime Minister. We talked about cricket, both past and present, and the current phase we’re going through. It was a fantastic experience for us. He also spoke about how he became Prime Minister, how India developed under his leadership, and what he has done for the nation. We even discussed the international cricket stadium in Jaffna.”
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