PM Narendra Modi praises Virat Kohli and co for Swacch Bharat drive at Eden Gardens

Virat Kohli is not only an incredible batsman, a successful Test captain, and one of the luckiest men on the planet (given his unbelievable record with tosses), he is also a conscientious citizen of the country. During the second Test of the ongoing series against New Zealand in Kolkata, where India swept the visiting team aside, the Test captain, along with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur, picked up a few brooms and set about sweeping the stadium as well.

The BCCI had tweeted out a video showing the group in action.

On the occasion of #GandhiJayanti- BCCI President Lt. @ianuragthakur, @imVkohli & #TeamIndia take part in #SwachhBharatAbhiyan #MyCleanIndia pic.twitter.com/roerE9Q9g8

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 2, 2016

Their efforts coincided with Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October, an occasion celebrated by the central government to promote its Swacch Bharat Abhiyan. The cleanliness drive, now in its second year, has seen improved participation, with several of Kohli’s India teammates, including Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane joining their skipper and board president in cleaning up the iconic Eden Gardens stadium.

Thanks to the drive, the country now boasts of a superior record on cleanliness and international recognition as well.

Following the drive, Kohli and Co then went to Indore for the third Test, where during a pre-match training session, the skipper noticed a few stray plastic bottles strewn about the turf. Instead of waiting for the ground staff to clean the stadium, Kohli himself picked up the bottles and discarded them in a dustbin nearby, according to a video uploaded by APB News.

Following the efforts put in by Kohli and his teammates, they received praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, who tweeted out his support for the initiative, saying it was a “small but powerful” gesture that would inspire others to do likewise.

Dear @imVkohli, saw your #MyCleanIndia moment on @abpnewstv. A small but powerful gesture that will surely inspire everyone.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 7, 2016

Responding to the high praise he received from Modi, Kohli replied saying it was the inspiration provided by the country’s top leadership that motivated them to do so.

Thank you @narendramodi sir. We all are trying to make a difference for the betterment of our country. Led in an inspirational way by you.

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) October 7, 2016

Clearly, grounding the opposition bowlers to dust is not enough for India’s Test skipper. He will also ensure the grounds themselves are in pristine clean condition.