‘PM Modi should learn from Indian cricket team not to announce ceasefire near victory’

The Congress party on 29 September, Monday, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that compared India’s victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup cricket final to a military operation, asserting that “it is not right to compare a cricket match to a battlefield”.

Congress media and publicity department chief Pawan Khera responded to Modi’s analogy by saying, “Prime Minister-ji, first of all, it is not right to compare a cricket match to a battlefield.

“Secondly, if you have made the comparison anyway, then you need to learn from the Indian team that when you are close to victory, good captains do not announce a ceasefire on the orders of any third umpire.”

Khera’s comments reiterate the Congress’ criticism that the BJP-led government had halted Operation Sindoor — India’s military response to cross-border terrorism from Pakistan — due to pressure from US president Donald Trump.

PM Modi had earlier taken to social media, posting: “#OperationSindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same — India wins! Congrats to our cricketers.”

Operation Sindoor was India’s official military operation launched after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in April, targeting militants across the Line of Control. The operation involved multiple branches of the armed forces and led to heightened tensions with Pakistan. By likening the cricket win to that operation, Modi sought to draw parallels between India’s prowess on the sports field and its forceful response in national security matters.

However, the analogy has sparked both criticism and debate.

Several opposition leaders, including Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, described Modi’s comments as “unfortunate” and argued, “Comparing such an operation to a cricket match is insensitive. Cricket is merely entertainment … it cannot and should not be equated with the sacrifice of martyrs.”

India’s emphatic five-wicket win, securing its ninth Asia Cup title, was celebrated across the country, but Modi’s remarks set off discussions on the appropriateness of blending sporting glory with military operations — especially

especially given the recent history of India–Pakistan tensions and the emotional context of Operation Sindoor.

Despite the controversy, India's cricket triumph — its ninth Asia Cup trophy — was celebrated nationwide, though Modi’s comments reignited ongoing discussions on the appropriateness of using military rhetoric to describe sports victories, especially given the emotional weight of both the recent conflicts and international jockeying in diplomacy efforts, and the historical role of cricket as an arena for both cross-border rivalry and building of bridges with Pakistan.