"The PM should have been there and he did the correct thing" - Gautam Gambhir on Narendra Modi visiting India's dressing room after World Cup defeat

Gautam Gambhir has lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for visiting India's dressing after a heartbreaking defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia last month.

Modi was seen consoling several players and praising them for their performance throughout the tournament. The Indian Prime Minister received severe criticism from certain sections for breaching the personal space of the players.

Sharing his two cents on the topic, Gambhir reiterated that the PM has all the rights to be in the dressing room. The former opener added he would have gone and spoken to the players had he been the BCCI president.

"The Prime Minister has all the right to be in that dressing room," Gambhir said on an ANI podcast. "There was nothing wrong with that. Dr Manmohan Singh was there at the 2011 World Cup, and even Pakistan's Prime Minister was present. It would not have been wrong if we had lost the match in front of Dr Mahmohan Singh."

"I know what players feel after losing such a match," he continued. "No politician, no actor, and no one in this world can feel what those players are feeling at that moment. When you see your dream get shattered, imagine what your mindset would be. If the words of the Prime Minister make them feel better, there is nothing better than it.

"In our country, people just want to politicize everything. The PM should have been there and he did the correct thing. In fact, if I was the BCCI president, I would have also gone and spoken to the players," Gambhir added.

The Indian players were disconsolate after losing the final to Australia. The Men in Blue dominated throughout the tournament before failing to cross the final hurdle.

Several players, including Mohammed Shami, thanked Narendra Modi for visiting the dressing room after the final. Shami, who finished as the highest wicket-taker, added that Modi's words helped ease the pain of losing the World Cup.

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"This is the lowest thing that can be talked about" - Gautam Gambhir on people calling Prime Minister 'panauti'

Gautam Gambhir also condemned renowned politician Rahul Gandhi's 'panauti' jibe at Narendra Modi, saying that this is the worst word that could be used against the Prime Minster.

"People used a word like 'panauti', which is probably the worst word that could have been used against anyone, particularly a Prime Minister of this nation," Gambhir added. "This word is also used for some experts when they give predictions. Why would you say this for any individual? This is the lowest thing that can be talked about."

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