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, sharing 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 his gold medal from the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup triumph. PM Modi was seen holding the medal alongside the former captain, making for a memorable moment as the two 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 them to the arrival of Lord Ram and the Saryu. @surya_14kumar https://t.co/B6vwr35Iwm— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 6, 2026
"In the atmosphere of Diwali, the arrival of Ram and Saryu has taken place. This has made the environment of Diwali even more sacred and divine," Modi wrote.
Suryakumar has enjoyed considerable success in the shortest format, both as a batter and as captain. He was named ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year in 2022 and 2023, while also reaching the No. 1 position in the ICC T20I batting rankings in October 2022.
In January 2023, he registered a career-high 910 rating points, placing him among the highest-rated batters in the history of the format.
His contributions to Indian cricket have extended beyond individual performances. Suryakumar played a key role in India's 2024 T20 World Cup-winning campaign before leading the side to another title in 2026. Under his captaincy, India became the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup.
He also guided India to the T20 Asia Cup title in the UAE in 2025.
However, his captaincy tenure came to an end after the 2026 World Cup triumph. Suryakumar was subsequently left out of India's T20I squad for the UK tour, which featured matches against Ireland and England. Shreyas Iyer was named his successor, with 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.- Ends
