PM Modi at MCG: Cricket, Kabaddi and a new India-Australia Sports Roadmap
Synopsis
PM Modi's MCG visit was more than a photo opportunity — it produced a formal India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap, timed deliberately against two landmark events: India's Commonwealth Games in 2030 and Australia's Brisbane Olympics in 2032. Cricket brought the two nations together; the Roadmap is designed to keep them together long after the last wicket falls.
Key Takeaways
PM Modi visited the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on 10 July alongside Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan .
The leaders jointly released the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap , formalising bilateral cooperation in sports, infrastructure, and talent development.
Exhibition matches in cricket , Kabaddi , and Australian rules football were held, with legends Steve Waugh and Lisa Sthalekar in attendance.
Modi congratulated Australia for winning the women's cricket World Cup .
India hosts the Commonwealth Games in 2030 ; Australia hosts the Brisbane Olympics in 2032 — both cited as anchors for deeper cooperation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, 10 July visited the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan, attending a landmark event celebrating India-Australia sporting ties. The visit culminated in the joint release of the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap, signalling a formal deepening of bilateral cooperation in sports, youth engagement, and talent development.
What Happened at the MCG
The three leaders interacted with young athletes taking part in exhibition matches of cricket, Kabaddi, and Australian rules football. Australian sporting legends including Steve Waugh and Lisa Sthalekar were present at the gathering. The event was designed to showcase the breadth of the sporting relationship between the two nations and to engage the next generation of athletes from both countries.
What PM Modi Said
Sharing his experience on social media platform X, Modi wrote: 'Delighted to witness young sporting talent in action at the MCG. Watching children play cricket, Kabaddi and Australian rules football was a wonderful reminder that sport has a unique ability to connect people.'
Addressing the gathering, Modi stressed that the newly released Roadmap would enable both nations to diversify their sporting partnership beyond cricket. He also congratulated Australia for winning the women's cricket World Cup.
The India-Australia Sports Roadmap
Modi and Albanese jointly released the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap, which outlines a framework for cooperation across sports infrastructure, coaching, athlete exchange, and talent pipelines. The Roadmap is positioned as a pillar of the broader India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, alongside cultural and people-to-people ties.
'India and Australia share a deep sporting bond. As both our nations prepare to host major global sporting events in the years ahead, there is immense potential to deepen cooperation in sports, youth engagement, infrastructure and talent development,' Modi said.
A Significant Decade in International Sports
Modi highlighted that the two countries are entering a consequential decade on the global sporting calendar. India is set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, while Australia will host the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. He argued these back-to-back events create natural opportunities for bilateral collaboration in sports administration, infrastructure development, and associated industries.
This comes amid a broader push by both governments to elevate people-to-people ties as a strategic priority — sport, alongside education and diaspora links, has emerged as a key vehicle for that agenda. The MCG visit is the latest in a series of high-profile bilateral engagements that have gained momentum since the two countries elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
What Comes Next
The Sports Collaboration Roadmap is expected to translate into specific programmes and institutional linkages in the months ahead. With the Commonwealth Games and Brisbane Olympics on the horizon, both governments are likely to announce further cooperative measures in sports infrastructure and athlete development as those events approach.
Point of View
But the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap is a strategic document, not a ceremonial one. With India hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and Australia the Brisbane Olympics in 2032, both governments have a concrete, time-bound incentive to make this cooperation real. What is less clear is whether the Roadmap will move beyond athlete exchanges and coaching ties into the harder work of co-developing sports infrastructure and shared talent pipelines — areas where bilateral frameworks have historically stalled at the announcement stage. The inclusion of Kabaddi alongside cricket is also notable: it signals India's intent to export its own sporting culture, not merely participate in Australia's.
NationPress
10 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the India-Australia Sports Collaboration Roadmap?
It is a bilateral framework jointly released by PM Modi and Australian PM Albanese at the MCG on 10 July, outlining cooperation in sports infrastructure, athlete exchange, coaching, and talent development. It forms part of the broader India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Why did PM Modi visit the Melbourne Cricket Ground?
Modi visited the MCG on 10 July to attend an event celebrating India-Australia sporting ties, alongside PM Albanese and Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan. The visit included exhibition matches in cricket, Kabaddi, and Australian rules football, and concluded with the release of the Sports Collaboration Roadmap.
Which sporting legends attended the MCG event?
Australian cricket legends Steve Waugh and Lisa Sthalekar were among those present at the MCG event marking India-Australia sporting ties on 10 July.
How do the Commonwealth Games 2030 and Brisbane Olympics 2032 relate to this visit?
PM Modi highlighted that India hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and Australia hosting the Brisbane Olympics in 2032 create a natural decade of opportunity for closer bilateral cooperation in sports administration, infrastructure, and associated industries.
What sports were showcased at the MCG event?
Young athletes participated in exhibition matches of cricket, Kabaddi, and Australian rules football — reflecting both nations' sporting identities and the intent to broaden the bilateral sporting relationship beyond cricket.
