Namaste Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli: Trump salutes India's cricket legends
Praising Tendulkar and Kohli as "the greatest in the world" during the Namaste Trump event, the US President said India is the country where people cheer on the biggest cricketers.
Published: 24th February 2020 06:01 PM | Last Updated: 24th February 2020 06:01 PM | A+A A-

US President Donald Trump addresses the 'Namaste Trump' event at Motera Stadium. (Photo | PTI)
US President Donald Trump made a special mention of Indian cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in his address at the Motera stadium. He is believed to be the first US President to take the names of Indian cricketers.
Praising Tendulkar and Kohli as "the greatest in the world" during the Namaste Trump event, the US President said India is the country where people cheer on the biggest cricketers.
Apart from Trump, former Australian PM Julia Gillard and former British PM David Cameron had mentioned Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in the past.
ALSO READ: LIVE | Trump visits India
"All over the planet people take great joy in watching Bollywood films, bhangra, and classic films like DDLJ and Sholay. You cheer on great cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. You have always stood as strong as one nation. Your unity is an inspiration to the world," Trump said.
The special shout-out to the cricketers brought instant joy to all the cricket enthusiasts, including PM Narendra Modi, who was seen lauding the President's remarks.
Watch US President Donald Trump mention the cricket legends here:
"This is the country where your people cheer on the biggest cricketers, from Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli, the greatest in the world," ~ Donald Trump
— Mumbai Indians FC (@FanaticsOfMI) February 24, 2020
Proud moment #OneFamily #NamasteTrump #TrumpInIndia pic.twitter.com/T5YwSr5E3b
However, a section of fans was upset with him for not mentioning the former Indian skipper MS Dhoni.
Donald Trump in his speech - "India is a country which has produced great cricketers lik+e Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli."
— Umaima Saeed (@UmaimaSaeed) February 24, 2020
Bro, we Dhoni fans are offended. #PhirSeSpeechDo
#GoBackTrump#TrumpInIndia#NamasteTrump
— Sarcastic Patriotic Indians (@SARCASTIC_PI) February 24, 2020
Dhoni Fans after trump praised Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli but not Dhoni : pic.twitter.com/ikSxygSTXU
An optimistic Twitter user tried to breakdown what Trump could have probably meant.
From Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli..
— Vicky Saab (@VICKY__264) February 24, 2020
That includes:
Sachin
Ganguly
Dravid
Sehwag
Laxman
Zaheer
Dhoni
Gambhir
Rohit Sharma
And finally Virat Kohli
pic.twitter.com/WOqBNa23wh
Addressing around one lakh people in the Motera stadium, Trump was all praise for Modi and India. Referring to PM Modi as his 'great friend,' Trump said that he is the living proof that Indians can accomplish anything with hard work and devotion.
With a seating capacity of 1,10,000, the Motera stadium is the largest cricket stadium in the world.
Trump, who is on a two-day trip to India, is the seventh US President to visit the country. First Lady Melania Trump and a 12-member delegation have accompanied him for the 36-hour trip. During his address, Trump announced a USD 3 billion worth military deal, which will be signed on Tuesday.