Rahul Gandhi levelled 'panauti' remark against Modi

Australia beat India by 6 wickets at NM Stadium

Modi even delivered a pep talk to men in blue

Cricket is a gentleman’s game. But the entry of politicians can spoil it! 

 

Even as India was defeated by Australia in the Cricket World Cup 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a surprise visit to the Indian dressing room and delivered a pep talk to extricate the losing men out of depression. He met captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, coach Rahul Dravid and bowler Mohammad Shami and asked them not to worry as wins and losses are common in sports. 

PM @narendramodi meets #TeamIndia in their dressing room after the #ICCWorldCupFinal at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, on 19th November. PM spent some candid moments with the players and encouraged them for their splendid performance throughout the tournament. @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/6TGzztchvs

— DD News (@DDNewslive) November 21, 2023

While many hailed Modi for his selfless gesture, some others criticised him, as they reduced it to another photo-op. 

Interestingly, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi too criticised Modi for his visit to the stadium in an election rally in Rajasthran. 

He said, “Ache bhale hamare ladke waha pe World Cup jeet jaate, par panauti harwa diya (our boys were almost winning the World Cup, but the ‘bad omen’ made them lose).” 

Political criticism is fine, but did Rahul Gandhi attack Modi below the belt? 

As expected, the BJP has hit back at him. 

India lose to Australia 

India went down to Australia by 6 wickets at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. Batting first, India scored a paltry 240 while the men from down under chased it down, with 42 balls to spare.