Virat Kohli gets special mention during armed forces briefing on Operation Sindoor
Mumbai: In an unprecedented moment during a high-level military media briefing, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai invoked the name of cricket legend Virat Kohli, shortly after the former Indian skipper announced his retirement from Test cricket.
The joint media briefing, held by top military officials from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, detailed the successful execution of Operation Sindoor, a coordinated Indian military strike on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
While explaining the depth and coordination of India’s military grid system, Lt Gen Ghai made a cricketing analogy involving Kohli and iconic Australian bowlers Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee. “Back in the 70s, during the famous Ashes series between Australia and England, two of Australia’s legendary fast bowlers—Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee—wreaked havoc on the English batting line-up. Their dominance was so overwhelming that the Australians came up with a saying: ‘From ashes to ashes and from dust to dust, if Thommo don't get you, then Lillee surely must,’” he said.
Drawing a parallel to India's multilayered military grid, he added, “If you look closely at the layers, you’ll understand what I mean—even if you manage to get through all of them, one layer of this grid system is bound to catch you.”
Calling Virat Kohli his “favourite cricketer,” Lt Gen Ghai said he was watching the cricketer’s emotional farewell to Test cricket just before the briefing. “Like many Indians, he is my favourite cricketer,” he noted.
VIDEO | Special Defence Briefing on India-Pakistan military action: Referring to Indian cricketer Virat Kohli's retirement from Tests earlier in the day, DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai drew a parallel between cricket and military operations. Here's what he said:
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 12, 2025
"I was… pic.twitter.com/CImgSELAMD
Earlier in the day, Virat Kohli officially announced his retirement from the longest format of the game via a heartfelt message on Instagram. “It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” Kohli wrote.
He added, “There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.”
Kohli’s decision comes days after Rohit Sharma’s own exit from Test cricket, sparking widespread speculation over the future of India’s senior players. His retirement marks the end of an era for Indian Test cricket, which he helped redefine with his aggressive approach and match-winning performances both at home and overseas.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
