India and Pakistan remain two of the greatest rivals in cricket but it’s not a secret that the former has taken significant forward strides in the sport. The Indian team doesn’t just enjoy an enviable head-to-head advantage against Pakistan in ICC events, the manner in which India’s stars have performed against Pakistan in recent outings, speaks of the gulf between the two sides. When India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was asked about the better team between the two, he settled the debate with pure facts.
PM Modi has immense passion for sports. Over the years, the Indian government has done its bit for the promotion of sports, across categories, while also launching programs like Khelo India. A firm believer in the power of sports, PM Modi highlighted how sporting activities offer an excellent platform for people to come together.
“I think sports have the power to energise the entire world. The spirit of sports brings people across nations together. That’s why I would never want sports to get discredited. I truly believe sports play a major role in human evolution. They’re not just games; they connect people on a deeper level,” he said in a podcast with Lex Fridman.
Modi ji didn’t even spare Pakistan’s cricket team! #PMModiPodcast pic.twitter.com/l2WMzi6MSr
— Meme Farmer (@craziestlazy) March 16, 2025
When asked to pick which team between India and Pakistan is better, the Prime Minister maintained a humble stance, saying he is not an expert on the technical aspects of the game. But, he also highlighted how the recent run of results favour India in the debate.
“Now coming to the question of who’s better or not. When it comes to the techniques of the game, I’m not an expert. Only those who specialise in it can be the judge of it. They can only decide which team is the best and which players are the best. But sometimes, the results speak for themselves. Just a few days ago, India and Pakistan played a match and the result revealed who was the better team. That’s how we know,” he asserted.
PM Modi was put also asked about his opinion on the ‘greatest footballer of all time’. For him Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi are the two names, in different generations, which stand above the rest.
“It is absolutely true that many regions in India have a strong football culture. Our women’s football team is performing really well, and our men’s team is progressing really well. If we talk about the past, in the 1980s, one name that always stood out was Diego Maradona. For that generation, he was seen as a true hero and if you ask today’s generation, they’ll immediately say Lionel Messi,” he added.
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