Assam’s cricket sensation Uma Chetry shared her heartfelt thoughts with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interaction with the Indian Women’s Cricket Team, who recently clinched the World Cup title. The young cricketer spoke about her memorable debut and the journey that made it a landmark moment for her and the country.
Uma Chetry, the first girl from the North East to play for India, reflected on her debut, saying, “The first time, a debut for India is already very special, and making your India debut in the World Cup is even harder. Sir, I still don’t know what exactly to say in front of you. Whatever comes to mind, I’ll say. Sir, that was my debut, but it’s always like this for me, sir—whenever there’s a debut, it rains. So that day, it was the same, sir, it rained, and I was just keeping, just keeping wickets. But that’s all there was. I mean, I myself was very happy that day because making a debut is a very big deal, especially for India, and it happened in the World Cup, so it was really something special, sir. It was the best because the whole team trusted me, and everyone came and told me everything, talked to me about every little thing.”
She added, “I was very happy on my debut, as playing for India is a very big thing. I wanted to win that match for the team.” 
Prime Minister Modi praised the team for their resilience, especially after bouncing back from three consecutive defeats in the tournament and facing criticism on social media. The players presented Modi with a signed jersey bearing the name ‘Namo 1’. BCCI president Mithun Manhas was also present during the interaction.
Modi encouraged the players to inspire younger generations, saying, “Whenever you all go home, visit your school and interact with the students and spend a day with them. The students and the school will remember you for life. Select three schools for one year and visit them.” He also urged their involvement in the Fit India Movement, emphasizing the role of women in promoting fitness and leading by example across the country.
