Sri Lankans’ aggressive play in 1996 foreshadowed T20 cricket: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday praised Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning cricket team, saying that their aggressive and innovative style of play foreshadowed the modern T20 format.

During an interaction with the team, Modi said that both India’s 1983 World Cup win and Sri Lanka’s 1996 victory played transformative roles on the global cricketing landscape, an official said.

Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning squad included Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Aravinda de Silva, Marvan Atapattu, Ravindra Pushpakumara, Upul Chandana, Kumar Dharmasena, and Romesh Kaluwitharana.

“PM Modi acknowledged that the aggressive and innovative style of Sri Lankan cricket in the 1996 World Cup, in a way, gave birth to T20 cricket,” the official said.

During his sojourn to the island nation, Modi recalled India’s visit to Sri Lanka in 1996 despite a bomb blast, calling it a strong symbol of sportsmanship and enduring friendship.

He said he visited Sri Lanka immediately after the 2019 terror attacks.

The spirit of India remains the same, he added.

“The Sri Lankan players requested PM Modi to support the development of a high-quality cricket ground in the northern part of Sri Lanka especially Jaffna,” the official said.

The cricketers also thanked Modi for India’s generous assistance during Sri Lanka’s economic crisis.

Modi reiterated India’s commitment to its “Neighbourhood First” policy, citing India’s support to Myanmar during a recent earthquake.