Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India’s cricket team is better that that of Pakistan and the recent result highlight that fact.
Modi said this during a chat with American podcaster Lex Fridman.
“I am not an expert, I do not know technique of this game, only experts can tell you that but just a few days ago, India and Pakistan played a match. The result reveals which is the better team. That’s how we know,” Modi said.
Also Read: India’s Champions Trophy Win: Celebrating the ‘Team’ Behind the Team
India lifted the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 by beating the New Zealand in the final which was played in Dubai on March 9. India remained unbeaten during its successful campaign during which it beat Pakistan by 6 wickets.
It was India’s third successive win over their arch rivals in as many ICC events. Before beating Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy, India had beaten them in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year and the 2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup.
In the same conversation Modi also highlighted the importance of sports in bringing people together.
“I think sports has the power to energise the entire world. The spirit of sports brings people together across different nations. That’s why I would never want to see sports being discredited. I truly believe that sports play a major role in human evolution, they’re not just games; they connect people on a deeper level,” the PM added.
Modi also spoke about a small town in Madhya Pradesh which is crazy for football.
“There’s a district called Shahdol, a completely tribal region where a large tribal community resides. When I visited, I noticed around 80 to 100 young boys and even older youth, all dressed in sports jerseys,” Modi recollected.
The people of Shahdol call their place as Mini Brazil.
“I asked them, ‘Where are you all from?’ and they replied, ‘We’re from Mini Brazil’. And when I enquired they explained, ‘In our village, football has been played for four generations. Nearly 80 national-level players have come from here. Our entire village is dedicated to football’,” Modi added.
Modi also spoke on how who is the legend in football.
“In the 1980s one name always resonated and that was Maradona. For that generation, he was a true hero. If you ask today’s generation, they’ll mention Lionel Messi.” he added.
