T20 World Cup 2024: 'Very Happy To Meet You on Happy Occasion' - Dravid to PM Narendra Modi

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Out-going India head coach Rahul Dravid recalled the last time Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the team in Ahmedabad when the time "was not that good" and was very happy to meet the PM "on this happy occasion" during the team's meeting in New Delhi.

The last time the Indian team shared the room with PM, it was at the Narendra Modi Stadium dressing room, which was filled with an atmosphere of gloom, heartbreak and distraught following the ODI World Cup final loss.

But on Thursday (July 4), the same team met the Prime Minister at his residence, and it was a surreal display of pride and joy following Team India's T20 World Cup success in Barbados.

The earlier meeting took place in the Indian team's dressing room on November 19 last year, after the Men in Blue, who had 10 dominating victories, failed to cross the final hurdle against Australia in Ahmedabad. The defeat had left the entire nation heartbroken.

During these heartbreaking moments, PM Modi came to cheer up the nation's most cherished and beloved group of boys. He went to each player one by one, shaking hands and hugging them, comforting them with his words, and asking them to keep their morale up.

Recalling those moments, Dravid expressed gratitude towards PM Modi for the opportunity to meet him after their ODI 2023 World Cup final match, and said they are happy to interact again on the happy occasion.

"I would like to thank you for giving us this opportunity to meet you and during our match in Ahmedabad, you had come there as well, I agree, the time was not that good, so we are very happy that we could meet you today on this happy occasion," Dravid said during an interaction with PM Modi at Prime Minister's residence in Delhi.

Dravid, who earlier stated that India skipper Rohit Sharma convinced him over a phone call to continue as the head coach until the T20 World Cup, said the players' "fighting spirit" and "never-say-die attitude" will inspire the younger generation.

"I would just like to say that the fighting spirit that Rohit and all these boys have shown, the never-say-die attitude that they have shown, means a lot, the credit goes to the boys, they have worked very hard for this. It is a matter of great joy that these boys have inspired the younger generation..." Dravid added.