Say what you will, the first round of the ongoing T20 World Cup had been nothing short of extraordinary. It's not because how the big teams played, it's because how the Associate Nations played. The USA almost stunned defending champions India. Pakistan too survived by the skin of their teeth against the Netherlands. Nepal then got so close to upsetting England. There were so many occasions when these lesser teams well and truly punched above their weight.
Many of these Associate teams had players of Indian origin in their ranks, a fact that didn't escape even Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Busy as he is, it would be unfathomable that he would know of cricketing matters in such detail. In his Mann Ki Baat address to the nation earlier today, the Prime Minister of India highlighted how the Indian-origin players were making a difference all over the world.
“Friends, I often say, ‘The one who plays, blooms’. Sports also unites us. These days, you must be watching the T20 World Cup matches. I am very sure that while watching the match, many times your eyes must have been fixed on a particular player. The jersey is that of some other country, but on hearing the name, you feel that the person is from our country. Then a slight joy arises in some corner of the heart.
“They step into the field wearing the jerseys of their respective countries and represent that country wholeheartedly. The moment gives you a slight happiness because the player is of Indian origin and is playing for the country where his family has settled,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“They step into the field wearing the jerseys of their respective countries and represent that country wholeheartedly. The moment gives you a slight happiness because the player is of Indian origin and is playing for the country where his family has settled,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Continuing, he discussed the Canadian team that fielded the maximum number of Indian players in the 20-team tournament that kicked off on February 7. “Team captain Dilpreet Bajwa was born in Gurdaspur, Punjab. Navneet Dhaliwal is from Chandigarh. This list includes many names like Harsh Thakar and Shreyas Movva, who are raising the pride of not only Canada but India as well,” he said.
Gujarat's Monank Patel gets a mention from PM Modi
The United States team that had almost stunned India also drew a mention from PM Modi. “America’s team has many players who have emerged from Indian domestic cricket. American team captain Monank Patel has also played for Gujarat’s under-16 and under-18 teams. Saurabh from Mumbai, Harmeet Singh and Milind Kumar from Delhi are all the pride of the American team," he said.
“Players like Jatinder Singh, Vinayak Shukla, Karan, Jai and Ashish are strong links that bind Oman cricket.
“There are countless such players of Indian origin who are bringing pride to their respective countries and becoming an inspiration for the youth there.
“This is the hallmark of Indianness. Wherever Indians go, they remain connected to the roots of their motherland and contribute to the development of their karmabhoomi, the country they live and work in,” he went on.
None of the Associate Nations advanced to the next round, that is the Super 8s, but they indeed left a big impression. Their cricket is on the right path and at this rate, it should not take them long before they start winning against big boys in big T20I tournaments more often.