Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi indirectly criticized the Pakistan cricket team, led by Mohammad Rizwan, for their poor performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The defending champions and tournament hosts Pakistan endured a disastrous campaign, failing to win a single match in the group stage.
Pakistan lost their first two matches against New Zealand and India, while their third encounter against Bangladesh was washed out due to rain, leading to their early exit from the tournament.
During an appearance on the Lex Fridman podcast, PM Modi reflected on the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry and pointed out that sometimes, results speak for themselves. He emphasized that India currently has the superior team, citing their dominant six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the group stage.
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian side comfortably defeated Pakistan to secure their spot in the semifinals, while the Men in Green bowed out without making an impact.
During the discussion, PM Modi was also asked about the greatest footballer of all time. He mentioned that in the 1980s, Diego Maradona was widely considered the best, but in today’s era, Lionel Messi stands out as the most celebrated player.
With Pakistan’s underwhelming performance in the Champions Trophy, cricket fans and analysts have called for major changes in the team ahead of upcoming international tournaments. Meanwhile, India remains a strong contender for the prestigious title.