CHANDIGARH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his weekly radio address Mann Ki Baat to the nation on Sunday, highlighted the ongoing T20 World Cup and praised Indian-origin cricketers making a mark for teams across the globe, including Canada, the USA and Oman.
He noted that Indian-origin players were prominently featured in the tournament, particularly in the Canadian team, whose captain hails from Gurdaspur in Punjab, with another player from Chandigarh.
In the 131st episode of Mann Ki Baat, Modi named Canadian team captain Dilpreet Bajwa from Gurdaspur and Navneet Dhaliwal from Chandigarh, along with Harsh Thaker and Shreyas Movva. “The captain of the Canadian team, Dilpreet Bajwa, was born in Gurdaspur, Punjab. Navneet Dhaliwal is from Chandigarh, and players like Harsh Thakar and Shreyas Movva are raising the pride of not only Canada but India as well,” he said.
Apart from Bajwa and Dhaliwal, players such as Pargat Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Jaskarandeep Buttar and Yuvraj Samra are also representing Canada. Yuvraj became a household name in his adopted country after scoring a century against New Zealand, while Dhaliwal and Pargat have also played key roles in the ongoing tournament. Pargat earlier represented Punjab at all age-group levels and played 22 matches for the state’s senior team.
Bajwa made his T20 International debut against Bermuda on September 30, 2023, and his ODI debut against Nepal on February 10, 2024, at Kirtipur. He has represented the Canada national team and various domestic and franchise sides, including Montreal Tigers, Seattle Thunderbolts and Surrey Shines.
Speaking to TNIE, Bajwa’s coach Rakesh Marshall recalled his rigorous training at the Government College ground in Gurdaspur, where he would practise for eight to nine hours a day. He said Bajwa moved to Canada in 2020 and is expected to visit Gurdaspur after the T20 tournament to guide young players.
Modi said Indians remain connected to their roots wherever they go and bring honour to the country. He remarked that seeing Indian-origin players represent other nations often brings a quiet sense of pride among viewers.
The Prime Minister also mentioned Indian-origin players in the USA team, including Monank Patel, Saurabh Ranjane, Harmeet Singh and Milind Kumar, noting their backgrounds in India’s domestic cricket. He similarly praised players of Indian origin in Oman’s team, such as Jatinder Singh, Vinayak Shukla, Karan Sonavale, Jay Odedra and Ashish Odedara.
Modi added that Indian-origin players are also part of teams in New Zealand, the UAE and Italy, saying their success abroad reflects the enduring connection Indians maintain with their homeland while contributing to the countries where they live.