Prime Minister – Welcome, friends!

Sri Lankan Player – Thank you, thank you, Sir!

Prime Minister – Welcome!

Prime Minister – I am pleased to have the opportunity to meet all of you. I feel that your team is one which the people of India still fondly remember. The nation has not forgotten the time when you defeated the Indian team.

Sri Lankan Player – Sir, it’s a great honour and privilege to see you today, and thank you very much. We are very grateful for you to have given us this time and opportunity.

Prime Minister – How many of you still maintain some connection with Bharat?

Sri Lankan Player – I think almost everyone.

Prime Minister – Oh, I see. How are you connected to Bharat, Sanath?

Sri Lankan Player – Sir, I was with the Mumbai Indians, and most of the others here also played in the IPL.

Prime Minister – Well, you have played in the IPL.

Sri Lankan Player – And Kumar Dharmasena was the umpire at the time.

Prime Minister – Yes.

Sri Lankan Player – Yes, so that…

Prime Minister – Perhaps you were the umpire when India played in Ahmedabad in 2010. I had gone to watch that match. I was the Chief Minister at the time. When India won the World Cup in 1983, and when your team won it in 1996, both events significantly transformed the cricket world. I believe that the way your team played in 1996 was, in a sense, the birth of the T20 style of cricket.

I would also like to hear from others—what are you doing nowadays? Is there anything you would like to share? Are you still connected with cricket? Are you coaching currently?

Sri Lankan Player – Most of us are still involved in cricket in some way or another. And I believe that today, meeting you brings more pressure than playing in a World Cup final!

Sri Lankan Player – I think that we want to talk on a situation, different topics where we won the World Cup in 1996, but one of the reasons why we won, because there were two things which didn’t come from Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Australia at that time, we were for…

Prime Minister – The bomb blast!

Sri Lankan Player – Yes and India helped us. Send India, for us to play, to show the world that it’s a secure place. And that’s one of the reasons that Sri Lanka went on to win the World Cup. So we are very grateful to India.

Prime Minister – I remember when Team Bharat decided to go to Sri Lanka. At that time, other teams were withdrawing because of the bomb blast. I witnessed how much your players appreciated Bharat's gesture. Bharat demonstrated true sportsmanship, recognising the difficulties faced by the people of Sri Lanka and refusing to leave them to their fate. Instead, we said, “Come on, let us go as well and see what happens.”

This act was greatly admired in your sports community. Even today, the people of Bharat remember that sportsmanship. On one hand, there was terror in the form of bomb blasts; on the other, there was the spirit of sportsmanship—and the latter triumphed.

That same spirit continues to this day. Just as the 1996 bomb blast shook all of Sri Lanka, in 2019 when a similar tragedy occurred—the bomb blast inside the church—I was the first world leader to visit Sri Lanka thereafter. Despite the bomb blast that time, Team India came to Sri Lanka.

This time, after the bomb blast, I myself have come to Sri Lanka. This shows that the spirit continues—to stand with Sri Lanka in both joy and sorrow. This is the enduring spirit of Bharat.

Sri Lankan Player – As a Sri Lankan, as a neighbourhood country, I umpired the World Cup final in your Ahmedabad ground and that is the biggest ground in the whole world. Actually, that was a fantastic atmosphere and fantastic ground for cricket. And I think everyone loves to play and umpire over there.

Sri Lankan Player – Sir, my first tour was to India in 1990, my first year. That was my first tour. And the same memories I have, because I was there in India for a month. I came about five days ago. We regularly visit India. And I would say, whenever Sri Lanka is in crisis, especially financially, India always steps up and to give that support. So we are ever thankful to India because we feel that India is our brother. So we feel home when we go to India. So thank you, sir. Thank you.

Sri Lankan Player – Like Romesh said, when we had the unrest and problems in Sri Lanka, we were without petrol, diesel, no current, no lights and I think you and the government, sir, helped us a lot. So we are always grateful and thank you for helping our country. We are grateful to you sir for helping Sri Lanka. And also, I have a small request, sir. As a coach of Sri Lanka cricket at the moment we play all over Sri Lanka, except Jaffna. I want, as a coach of Sri Lanka cricket, I would love to, if India can help us to bring an international ground in Jaffna. That will be a big help for the people in Jaffna, north and eastern part, so that we are lacking at the moment… So we will not isolate the northern part, so they will also come very closely, work with the Sri Lanka Cricket and we are working on it at the moment, but it will get more closer if you play international games in Jaffna. So I have a small request sir, if you can help to bring something.

Prime Minister – I am truly delighted to hear all of this from Jayasuriya. It is indeed a fact that Bharat has always adhered to the principle of ‘Neighbourhood First’. Whenever our neighbouring countries face a crisis, Bharat seeks to respond as quickly and effectively as possible. You may recall, for instance, when the earthquake struck Myanmar, Bharat was the first nation to respond. We believe it is Bharat's duty to care for and support our neighbouring and friendly countries. Being a large and capable nation, Bharat feels a responsibility to act promptly. When the recent economic crisis struck Sri Lanka—a situation of great magnitude—Bharat held one firm belief: that Sri Lanka must be supported and assisted in every possible way to overcome it. We made every effort to play our part, as we consider this our moral duty. Even today, as you would have noticed, I have announced several new development projects. But what truly moved me was your concern for Jaffna. It sends a powerful and positive message that a senior cricketing figure from Sri Lanka wishes to see international cricket played in Jaffna as well. This sentiment, in itself, is inspiring. It should not be the case that Jaffna is left behind. International matches must take place there too. Your suggestion carries significant weight, and I assure you that my team will certainly take note of this proposal and explore how it can be implemented. I greatly appreciate that all of you took the time to meet me. It was a pleasure to revisit fond memories and to see all of your faces once again. I sincerely hope that your relationship with Bharat continues to grow stronger. Whatever courage you display, and in whatever way I can support you—I assure you, I will always be there by your side.

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.

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MJPS/VJ/IG