‘PM Modi ke glow ka raaz?’ Harleen Deol’s question leaves India's cricket team in splits; other cute moments from meet
From cheeky skincare questions to recognition of Hanuman tattoos, the Indian women’s cricket team’s meeting with PM Modi in New Delhi was full of fun moments
After clinching their maiden ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, the Indian women’s cricket team received a special invitation to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence on Lok Kalyan Marg on Wednesday (November 6). The team arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday for the scheduled meet, following their commanding 52-run victory over South Africa in the World Cup final at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. The video of the interaction, shared on social media, captured light-hearted moments alongside the celebration of a historic sporting achievement.
During the meeting, batter Harleen Deol couldn’t resist a cheeky question about the PM’s skincare. “Mereko aapki skincare routine puchni hai…” she said with a grin. “Aap bohot glow karte ho sir,” she added. PM Modi replied playfully, “Mere is vishay peh zyada dhyaan nahi gaya tha..” Then off-spinner Sneh Rana chimed in saying, “Sir, yeh crore deshvasiyon ka pyaar hai…” and then added, “Woh toh hai he hai je.” PM Modi smiled and reflected, “Itne jo ashirvaad milte hain, unka bhi toh prabhav hota hai..”
Other cute moments from the meet
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur fondly recalled meeting PM Modi back in 2017 and remarked on how different it felt this time, coming face-to-face with him while holding the World Cup trophy. She also shared the team’s desire to meet him more frequently. Vice Captain Smriti Mandhana further highlighted the PM’s motivational influence, noting that his encouragement has inspired girls across the country to achieve in diverse fields.
Additionally, Deepti Sharma, Player of the Tournament, said she had been eager to meet PM Modi again and remembered his words from 2017, urging them to keep chasing their dreams. A notable moment was when the Prime Minister recognised Deepti's Hanuman tattoo. The team was surprised that he knew about her devotion. Referring to Deepti's tattoo on her hand, he asked, “Aap yeh tattoo laga ke ghumti rehti hain, toh Hanuman Ji aapki kya madad karte hain?” They were further amazed when he inquired about the “Jai Shri Ram” in her Instagram bio. Deepti shared that her faith in Hanuman was profound, even stronger than her faith in herself. The allrounder has often been noted for wearing a tilak (or tika) on her forehead during cricket matches.
The Prime Minister also didn't hold back on the banter from his side. His conversation with Deepti moved to her ‘dadagiri’ on the field. “Maidan mein aapki dadagiri bohot chalti hai — is baat mein kitna dum hai?” he asked. To this, Deepti laughed and said, “Nahi sir, aisa kuch nahi hai. Ek cheez ka thoda khauf lagta hai, woh main bol sakti hoon — woh throw ka rehta hai.”
Even the head coach, Amol Muzumdar, shared a memorable anecdote. He recounted the team’s visit to England in June, where they met King Charles. Due to protocol, they could take photos with only 20 people, which meant the support staff could not be included. Muzumdar mentioned that the support staff had been disappointed but had “manifested the win,” saying they were willing to let that photo go but were determined to get a picture with PM Modi on 4th or 5th November.
Another moment that had netizens smiling into their screens was when the Prime Minister noticed injured batter Pratika Rawal hadn’t reached for the buffet yet. He asked, “Aapko koi kuch de nahi raha… Kya pasand hai aapko?” Then, handing her a cone, he said, “Mai de raha hun, lekin aapko pasand toh hai na…”— leaving the players laughing.
The Prime Minister also offered the players some laddoos, calling each of them by name and pointing out their favourite foods from the buffet. While handing out the mithai, he said, “Abhi toh koi rokega nahi na…” – referring to the players' strict diets before big matches like the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup.
To wrap it up, the World Cup–winning Indian women’s team presented a special signed jersey reading ‘Namo 1’ to PM Modi during their meeting, after which they clicked a few endearing group photos. Following this memorable interaction, the team headed to Rashtrapati Bhavan to meet President Droupadi Murmu.
