“We Were Not In The Mood To Eat…”: Mohammed Shami Reveals How PM Narendra Modi Helped India Cope With World Cup Loss | Cricket News

Star pacer Mohammed Shami became the talk of the town after his heroics for Team India in the recently concluded ODI World Cup 2023. Despite missing out on the first four matches of the tournament, Shami emerged as the highest wicket-taker with a total of 24 scalps to his name. He also bagged the Player of the Tournament award for his stellar performance. Despite all this, Team India failed to lift the World Cup trophy as they lost against Australia in the summit clash.

After India’s loss, PM Narendra Modi met the players in the dressing room and comforted them. The video of that meeting was widely shared. In that meeting, PM Modi hugged Shami and congratulated him for his performance. That video went viral on social media and grabbed mixed reactions from the viewers.

In an interview with Aaj Tak on Wednesday, Shami revealed that the Indian cricket team players were not ready for the PM’s visit as it came as a surprise for them.

“We were heartbroken after the loss and were sitting dejectedly. It was like our hard work of two months got negated due to just one match. It was our bad day and we were dejected but when the PM enters, you have to keep your head high. We were not even told that Modiji was coming there and suddenly he entered. Earlier, we were not even in the mood to eat and talk to each other but when he came, it was such a big surprise for us,” said Shami.

“We got shocked when he entered the room. He then came and spoke to all of us. And it was actually after that moment that we started talking to each other. We talked and said that we need to move on from this loss. So, PM Modi’s visit helped us a lot,” he added.

PM Modi had a special message for Indian cricket team after the loss. “Dear Team India, Your talent and determination through the World Cup was noteworthy. You’ve played with great spirit and brought immense pride to the nation. We stand with you today and always,” he posted on X.

Shami is currently going through medical treatment and is expected to join the Indian cricket team for the Test series in South Africa, that starts on December 26.