PM Modi Celebrates with Indian Women's Cricket Team After Historic World Cup Victory

As Prime Minister Modi met and commended the Indian women's cricket team for their "remarkable resilience and comeback" in the World Cup, he was asked a cheeky question: What is his skincare routine?

The question came from top-order batter Harleen Deol, who also told the Prime Minister that he "glows a lot". Her query had the entire room in splits.

"I never thought about this much," PM Modi said, as he spoke to the players on Wednesday. A video of the interaction was broadcast on Thursday.

When all-rounder Sneh Rana suggested "it is the love of his countrymen" that creates the Prime Minister's glow, he responded: "Of course it is. It is a huge source of strength. I have spent lots of years in the government."

He added: "Despite all this, the blessings keep coming in and it does have an effect on you eventually."

On Sunday, the Indian women's cricket team defeated South Africa to secure their first-ever ICC Women's ODI World Cup in Navi Mumbai.

This victory marked a watershed moment for Indian women's cricket, as years of hard work and near-misses finally resulted in redemption and history. The team overcame South Africa by 52 runs in the final to become only the fourth team to claim the ODI title.

"I still remember when we met you in 2017. At that time, we did not come with a trophy. But it is a matter of great honour for us that this time, for something we have been working so hard for so many years, we have brought the trophy here," captain Harmanpreet Kaur told PM Modi.

"Our aim is that we meet you again and again in the future and take photos with you and your team again and again," she added.

In their previous World Cup final appearance in 2017, India had narrowly lost to England by just nine runs, after which the squad had met with the Prime Minister.

Responding to Kaur's remarks, PM Modi said: "You have done a great job. In India, cricket is not just a game. In a way, it has become the life of the people of India. If there is good happening in cricket, India feels good and even if there is a little bit of wrong happening in cricket, the whole of India feels bad."

The Prime Minister also inquired about Player of the Tournament Deepti Sharma's Hanuman tattoo, which has gained significant attention on social media.