Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction with the Indian women’s cricket team took an unexpectedly light-hearted turn when batter Harleen Deol asked him a question that had the entire room bursting into laughter — “What is your skincare routine? You glow a lot!”
The team met PM Modi after their historic ICC Women’s ODI World Cup victory, and while the Prime Minister praised their “remarkable resilience and comeback,” it was Harleen’s cheeky question that stole the spotlight. Modi smiled and replied that he had “never thought about it much,” drawing even more laughter from the players.
When all-rounder Sneh Rana suggested that “it is the love of his countrymen” that makes him glow, the Prime Minister nodded and said, “Of course it is. It is a huge source of strength. I have spent lots of years in the government. Despite all this, the blessings keep coming in and it does have an effect on you eventually.”
The women’s team, who defeated South Africa by 52 runs in Navi Mumbai to lift their first-ever ODI World Cup trophy, shared emotional reflections with the Prime Minister. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur reminded him of their previous meeting in 2017, when they returned without a trophy.
“I still remember when we met you in 2017. At that time, we did not come with a trophy. But it is a matter of great honour for us that this time, for something we have been working so hard for so many years, we have brought the trophy here,” she said.
She added with a smile, “Our aim is that we meet you again and again in the future and take photos with you and your team again and again.”
PM Modi congratulated the team and spoke about the emotional impact of cricket in India. “You have done a great job. In India, cricket is not just a game. It has become the life of the people. If there is good happening in cricket, India feels good, and even if something goes wrong, the whole country feels it.”
The Prime Minister also chatted with Player of the Tournament Deepti Sharma, asking her about the Hanuman tattoo on her arm that had gone viral online. The interaction brought together national pride, humour, and a rare unscripted moment that quickly went viral.
From victory speeches to playful banter, the meeting captured the spirit of a team that made history — and a leader who, despite the pressures of office, was happy to laugh along with them.
