'Under Captain Modi, net practice begins early, goes on till late'

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday sought to supplement his observations on "leadership" with cricketing analogy in the presence of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and ex-England cricketer Kevin Pietersen.

"Under Captain Modi (referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi), the net practice starts at 6 a.m. which goes on till late... and he expects wickets when a chance is given," Jaishankar said while describing the functioning of the Union Cabinet under PM Modi.

He said this while addressing the Raisina Dialogue during a panel discussion titled "Turbulence, Temperament, And Temerity: Leadership In The Age Of Uncertainty".

It was not, in fact, a mere coincidence that both Blair and Pietersen to a country which is the birthplace of the Gentleman's Game.

When asked about India being a bigger economy than the UK, Jaishankar referred to the popular movie 'RRR'. He said: "The most popular film in India last year was 'RRR'. It has to do with the British era. The fact is, when you have such a complex history, there would be a downside to it, there would be suspicions, unresolved problems."