ICC T20 World Cup | Indian-origin players bringing pride to respective countries, hallmark of Indianness: PM Modi

New Delhi: Countless Indian-origin players are bringing pride to their respective countries and this is the hallmark of Indianness as wherever they go, Indians remain connected to their roots and contribute to the development of the place they live and work in, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

In his monthly "Mann Ki Baat" radio address, Modi noted that numerous players of Indian origin are bringing pride to the countries they represent and this is clearly visible in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

"I often say, 'The one who plays, blooms'. Sports also unite us. These days, you must be watching the T20 World Cup matches. And I am very sure that while watching the matches, 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 this person is from our country. Then a slight joy arises in some corner of the heart," he said.

The prime minister pointed out that these Indian-origin players represent the countries where their families have settled.

They step into the field wearing the jerseys of their respective countries and represent their teams wholeheartedly, he said.

Modi pointed out that Canada has the highest number of Indian-origin players among all the teams playing in the T20 World Cup.

Captain Dilpreet Bajwa was born in Punjab's Gurdaspur, Navneet Dhaliwal is from Chandigarh and the list includes many names like Harsh Thakar and Shreyas Mowa, who are raising the pride of not only Canada but India as well, he said.

The prime minister said the US team has many players who have emerged from Indian domestic cricket and captain Monank Patel has also played for Gujarat's under-16 and under-18 teams.

He said Saurabh from Mumbai, Harmeet Singh and Milind Kumar from Delhi are all the pride of the US team.

The Oman team today features many players who have previously played for different Indian states, Modi noted. Players like Jatinder Singh, Vinayak Shukla, Karan, Jai and Ashish are strong links that bind Oman cricket, he said, adding that players of Indian origin are also ensuring their place in the teams of New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and Italy.

"There are countless such players of Indian origin who are bringing pride to their respective countries, becoming an inspiration for the youngsters 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 'karambhoomi', the country they live and work in," the prime minister said.