PM Modi meets Suryakumar Yadav ahead of Diwali, holds T20 World Cup medal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and his family in New Delhi on Friday and shared a special Diwali moment with the cricketer and his family.

The meeting also offered a glimpse of India’s recent cricketing success, with Suryakumar wearing a gold medal from the men’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2026. PM Modi was seen holding the medal alongside the former captain in a memorable moment as both celebrated India’s historic achievement.

Sharing details of the meeting on his official X account, the Prime Minister reflected on the spiritual significance of this year’s Diwali celebrations, linking it to the arrival of Lord Ram and Saraya.

@surya_14kumar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 6, 2026

“In the atmosphere of Diwali there was the arrival of Ram and Saryu. It made the atmosphere of Diwali even more sacred and divine,” Modi wrote.

Suryakumar has achieved considerable success in the shortest format, both as a batsman and as a captain. He was named the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2022 and 2023. in October 2022, it reached the No. 1 position in the ICC T20I batting rankings.

In January 2023, he recorded a career-high 910 rating points, making him one of the highest-rated batsmen in the history of the format.

His contributions to Indian cricket went beyond individual appearances. Suryakumar played a key role in India’s campaign to win the T20 World Cup in 2024 before leading the side to another title in 2026. Under his leadership, India became the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup.

He also led India to the 2025 Asia T20 Cup title in the UAE.

However his After the triumph at the 2026 World Cup, the term of the captain came to an end. Suryakumar was subsequently left out of India’s T20I squad for the tour of Great Britain, which featured matches against Ireland and England. Shreyas Iyer was appointed as his successorwith his leadership credentials at Punjab Kings in the IPL reportedly working in his favour.

Suryakumar’s recent struggles with the bat were also reportedly understood to have influenced the selection decision.

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