Former batting coach Vikram Rathour revealed how the Indian Prime Minister’s inspirational words inspired the players in the dressing room months after the incident.
India’s loss at the 2023 ODI World Cup
No matter how many trophies the Indian cricket team wins in the near future, the disappointment of losing to Australia at home in the ODI World Cup 2023 will never go away. The team captained by Rohit Sharma had gone undefeated throughout the competition until suffering a severe setback in Ahmedabad. The Indians were bowled out for 240, making it a difficult day for them at work. Travis Head, in response, produced the game-winning hundred to lead Australia to their sixth World Cup victory.
After losing the World Cup final, there was seriousness in the dressing room. While some were stunned and struggling to understand the turn of events, others had tears in their eyes.In the meantime, players were addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an unexpected visit to the locker room.
Prime Minister’s visit to the dressing room
“That’s [the vibe] something extraordinary. That’s what a real leader is. The dressing room was very serious after losing the final. Everybody was low and down and suddenly he walked in. At least, I didn’t know he was coming. So everybody stood up, and the way he spoke to the team and assured them that ‘You all played very well. It’s okay if you lose one game. We are all proud of you’. That kind of a message lifts you up and it did, actually. Everybody in the dressing room felt great,” Rathour quoted in former domestic cricketer Taruvar Kohli’s YouTube channel.
The team was in excellent form, and the winning run gave them the confidence to pull off something extraordinary in the end, according to the former India batting coach. But they were entirely destroyed after the World Cup.
“When we were winning, the mood was fantastic. The audience was excellent as well. They helped us all the way through the competition. Never before have I seen so many people wearing blue. They were present everywhere we went. On match days, they actually showed up at the hotels at eight in the morning. Rathour stated, “It was something I hadn’t seen before.”
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