Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) turned into a memorable occasion as he shared a special moment with former Australia captain Steve Waugh during the final day of his three-day visit to Australia. Accompanied by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Modi’s visit highlighted the strong sporting relationship between the two nations while also focusing on future collaboration in sports, youth engagement and major international events.
PM Narendra Modi’s special gesture grabs attention at the MCG
One of the standout moments of the visit came when Modi presented Steve Waugh with a framed throwback photograph from nearly two decades ago. The picture captured the pair during an earlier meeting when Modi was serving as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, making it a nostalgic reunion for the legendary Australian cricketer. The heartfelt gesture drew widespread appreciation and became one of the most talked-about moments from the visit. Modi later expressed his delight at meeting Waugh once again at one of cricket’s most iconic venues.
The Prime Minister also shared his excitement about watching young cricketers in action at the MCG and spoke about the strong cricketing connection between India and Australia. In a post on X, Modi said both nations have tremendous opportunities to deepen cooperation in sports, youth engagement, infrastructure and talent development as they prepare to host major global sporting events in the coming years.
India and Australia strengthen sporting partnership
Beyond the special meeting with Waugh, Modi and Albanese unveiled a new Roadmap on Sport Cooperation, aimed at expanding collaboration between the two nations across sports science, technology, talent development, infrastructure, tourism and investment. Modi said both countries have an excellent opportunity to deepen cooperation as they prepare to host several major global sporting events in the coming years.
The Indian Prime Minister also reiterated India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympic Games, following the country’s preparations for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Meanwhile, Albanese announced that the opening match of the Big Bash League 2026-27 season will be held at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, making it the first BBL fixture to be played outside Australia.
Welcoming the historic move, Modi said hosting major sporting events in India guarantees enormous reach and viewership. He also expressed his delight at watching young cricketing talent in action at the MCG, while both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to building stronger sporting relations between India and Australia in the years ahead.
