'You have to...': Suryakumar Yadav speaks out on PM Modi's interaction with Team India after World Cup final loss

Team India's middle-order batsman, Suryakumar Yadav, recently shared his thoughts on their heartbreaking loss to Australia in the 2023 World Cup final, which took place on November 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Despite the disappointment felt by the team, Yadav revealed that the motivating words from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the dressing room provided a significant boost.

Entering the final as the clear favorites against Australia, Team India had high hopes of ending their decade-long title drought. However, contrary to expectations, they were unable to achieve this feat. The Men in Blue struggled in various aspects of the game, while Australia displayed a disciplined performance, ultimately securing their sixth title in front of a record-breaking crowd.

"As you all now, it has been just 4-5 days since the World Cup ended. Everyone is disappointed, we are disappointed. But it was nice to see the support from our fans in India and all over the world. I would just like to say that this is a sport, it teaches us a lot, how to move ahead and I would like to say that always maintain the same love that you guys have for us."

#WATCH | Indian cricketer Surya Kumar Yadav says "As you all know, it has been 4-5 days since the World Cup finished. We are all disappointed. It felt really good seeing the support of our fans in India and across the world. I would like to say that this is a sport and it teaches… pic.twitter.com/m7KoaPilpP

— ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2023

He also spoke about their interaction with PM Modi.

"The Prime Minister of our country Narendra Modi ji came to the dressing room. He met and gave motivation to everyone and while meeting everyone, he said only one thing, 'It's a sport, we keep winning and losing. There are ups and downs in life, you have to take it in your stride. Yes, of course, it will take some time to come out of this."

Suryakumar mentioned that they have already commenced preparations for the 2024 T20 World Cup and expressed optimism that their efforts will bear fruit.

"It was a big thing for PM Modi to come to the dressing room and his 5-6 minutes of motivation was a big thing. The leader of the country is meeting the sports team in the dressing room and giving motivation. We listened to his words carefully and spent a little time with him. An ICC tournament is coming next year. We will play with the same enthusiasm the way we played this time and hopefully, we win."

The Men in Blue emerged victorious in the inaugural T20 World Cup and are now setting their sights on clinching their second title in the upcoming tournament, to be held in the West Indies and USA next year.

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