Suryakumar Yadav visits PM Modi with wife and children, exchanges Diwali greetings

Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav brought a special Diwali greeting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visiting him in New Delhi with his wife and children to mark the festival of lights.

The former India T20I captain met Modi to extend festive wishes, with the Prime Minister sharing photographs of their warm interaction on social media platform X.

Alongside the pictures, Modi posted a message in Hindi, welcoming the family's visit and saying their arrival had made the Diwali atmosphere even more sacred and divine.

"Deepwali ke mahual mei Ram and Saryu ka aagman hua hai. Isse Diwali ka vatavaran aur bhi paawan aur divya ho gaya hai," he wrote.

Suryakumar also thanked the Prime Minister for his hospitality and conveyed his Diwali wishes.

The meeting attracted attention on social media, with cricket fans welcoming the festive interaction between the Indian cricket star and the country's Prime Minister.

Earlier this year, Suryakumar credited Modi's emphasis on sports for the significant changes taking place in India's sporting landscape.

Speaking exclusively to IANS, the 35-year-old said improvements in infrastructure, opportunities and public attitudes towards sports were becoming increasingly visible.

"Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji has spoken very loudly and clearly about making India a sporting powerhouse, and if you see the change, it is clearly massive and visible on the ground," he told IANS.

Reflecting on his early cricketing days, Suryakumar said young athletes had fewer opportunities because sporting infrastructure was limited.

"When I started playing cricket, there was very little infrastructure, so the opportunities were very limited," he said.

Last month, Suryakumar took on a new sporting role as the brand ambassador for MLB India.

He marked the association by swapping his cricket bat for a baseball bat at Major League Baseball's inaugural MLBx Mumbai 3-on-3 baseball event in Mumbai, highlighting his growing association with the sport.

With inputs from IANS