Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the last day of his Australian tour, where he highlighted the strong sporting bond between the two countries. During the visit, Modi presented former Australian captain Steve Waugh with a photograph taken almost 20 years ago, which was taken when Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat and met the cricket legend. He also expressed his happiness to see talented young people working at the stadium.Modi said that India and Australia have great opportunities to work together in sports as the two countries prepare to participate in major international events. Writing on X, he said, “As all our countries prepare to host major international games in the coming years, there is great potential to strengthen cooperation in sports, youth engagement, infrastructure and talent development.”The two leaders also unveiled the Roadmap on Sport Cooperation, which aims to expand cooperation in sports science, technology, talent development, infrastructure, trade and tourism. Modi reiterated India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics after hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that the opening match of the 2026-27 Big Bash League season will be played at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, making it the first BBL match to be held outside Australia. Welcoming the move, Modi said, “For any sporting event, hosting the event in India ensures attendance and viewership.Albanese also praised the dynamic cricket rivalry between India and Australia, recalling the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He acknowledged cricket legends Steve Waugh and Lisa Sthalekar, saying, “It is a great honor to be here with two Australian cricket legends who are admired and respected in India. Lisa Sthalekar and Steve Waugh.” The leaders also visited Shane Warne’s stand at the MCG.