DGMO's Virat Kohli reference at Operation Sindoor briefing: ‘From Ashes to Ashes…’
Lt Gen Rajeev Ghai drew parallels between cricket and military defense during a briefing on Operation Sindoor, citing Virat Kohli's Test retirement.
As the Armed Forces held a special press briefing on India's ongoing Operation Sindoor, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations, made a surprising reference to ace Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, drawing an unusual parallel between cricket and India’s military strategy.
To drive his point home, Lt Gen Ghai used a cricket metaphor, referencing Kohli’s recent retirement from Test cricket. “I think I should make a cricket reference. Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket today. Like most Indians, he is also one of my favourite cricketers,” he remarked. Follow India-Pakistan tensions live updates
The senior commander then cited the legendary Ashes series between England and Australia from 50 years ago, which saw the brutal takedown of the English batting lineup by two ferocious Aussie pace bowlers.
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“In the 70s, when I was a school student, during the Ashes series, Australian fast bowlers Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee were very popular. They destroyed the English batting lineup, and the Australians came up with a saying: ‘Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if Thommo don’t get you, Lillee must.’ Our multi-layered defence grid works the same way. Even if most systems are breached, one will shoot them down before they reach their target,” said Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai.
Speaking about India’s robust air defence, Lt Gen Ghai said the Pakistan Air Force repeatedly targeted Indian airfields on May 9 and 10, but the country’s multi-layered systems ensured none of the attacks succeeded in breaching critical targets.
Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai was among the top military commanders who addressed the press in a special briefing on India’s response to Pakistan’s airstrikes. Alongside him were Vice Admiral AN Pramod (Director General Naval Operations) and Air Marshal AK Bharti (Director General Air Operations), who jointly presented the results of Operation Sindoor.
