PM Narendra Modi hugs Rishabh Pant during India’s T20 World Cup celebration

Rishabh Pant has seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in the last 19 months. The keeper-batter hurt himself severely during a car accident after which his career as a cricketer was in doubt for a couple of months. However, with sheer determination and a lot of hard work, Pant made his return to cricket during IPL 2024. He had a very good season with the bat, which helped him earn a call-up in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2024.

The southpaw was incredible in the mega tournament. He smashed 171 runs in eight matches and played an important role in the early phase of the competition. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was delighted with his performances and contributions and hugged him for the same. The Rohit Sharma-led side visited the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on July 4 with the trophy and that’s when they embraced.

Here's the picture -

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials also presented the Prime Minister with a special jersey. The word ‘NAMO’ was inscribed on the backside of it with the number one.

PM Modi also met all the other players and clicked photos with them and their families. After meeting him, the Indian players left for their team hotel and soon after that, they reached Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport for their flight to Mumbai. The team is expected to reach the ‘City of Dreams’ at 4 PM IST and following which, they will travel to Wankhede Stadium for a grand celebration. 

BCCI secretary Jay Shah will felicitate the Indian team at Wankhede, where they’ll also meet the fans. After the ceremony concludes in the stadium, the players will participate in a victory parade in Marine Drive, which is expected to begin around 6:30 PM IST. It is likely to last for at least two hours if not more as the idea is to wrap everything up by 9 PM IST.