Cricket

WATCH: Gautam Gambhir slams 'panauti' jibe at PM Modi referring to Manmohan Singh's 2011 World Cup visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the Indian dressing room to console the dejected players after losing the World Cup final.

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Mathew K
New Update
Gautam Gambhir (left) PM Narendra Modi consoling Indian players (Source: Twitter)

Gautam Gambhir (left) PM Narendra Modi consoling Indian players (Source: Twitter)

Despite dominating throughout the tournament, Team India suffered a heartbreaking defeat against Australia in the 2023 World Cup final. As their skipper Pat Cummins said, the visitors silenced the Ahmedabad crowd and added a sixth silverware to their trophy cabinet. Players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj were almost in tears and the emotionally devastated Indian dressing room scene was later described by head coach Rahul Ravid. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was present at the stadium, along with Home Minister Amit Shah had visited the dressing room to console the dejected players. Several pictures and videos of PM Modi cheering up the players went viral on social media and many appreciated the leader's kind gesture. 

However, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi did not miss the opportunity to mock his rival as the Men in Blue got a disappointing result at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Rahul's 'Panauti' jibe during an election rally had sparked a huge controversy, and in a recent interview, former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir criticised him for his remark.

The 53-year-old, during an election rally in Rajasthan, had said: "He comes on TV and says 'Hindu-Muslim' and sometimes goes to a cricket match... Our boys would have won the World Cup but the panauti (bad omen) lost us the match."

Gambhir, who represents the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Lok Sabha, believes the remark was unnecessary. He also cited the example of the 2011 World Cup semi-final, in which then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was present to watch India take on Pakistan in Mohali.

"The word that was used, 'panauti', it is probably the worst word that could've been used against anyone, particularly a prime minister of this country. In the 2011 Cricket World Cup semi-final, Dr. Manmohan Singh was there. Had we lost that match and he had come to meet us, what would've been wrong in that?," said Gambhir. 

 

ODI World Cup 2023 Featured Gautam Gambhir India PM Narendra Modi