Watch: UK PM Rishi Sunak's Face-Off With England Legend James Anderson Is A Hit

Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister, has a long-standing liking for cricket. On Friday (April 5), he went to the Oval cricket field in London, England, to meet with the English cricket team. Aside from demonstrating his cricket skills, he provided an extensive package for the teams ahead of the T20 World Cup competitions in 2026 and 2030. PM Sunak resorted to social media to post clips from his moments on the cricket pitch.

During the visit, ACE Programme creator Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent and Director of Programmes Chevy Green presented the British Prime Minister with a jersey. Additionally, Richard Thompson, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), autographed a cricket bat for him. In addition, the prime minister advanced to face James Anderson, who had just achieved 700 wickets in Test cricket. Sunak, playing forward defence, blocked an Anderson delivery, impressing young academy players with his ability to manage pace.

The Prime Minister disclosed during a conversation that he had a net session to ensure he was completely prepared to take on the legendary pacer. He also questioned Anderson if the pacemaker would be kind to him, and the 42-year-old responded, “We’ll see.” PM Sunak went down a few times, but he never gave up in the middle, especially against charged-up young bowlers. Participating in a cricket practice session with participants in the ACE Programme, PM Sunak responded and engaged with the players after being knocked out.

Meanwhile, to broaden cricket’s appeal, PM Sunak has announced a £35 million (more than Rs 368 crore) investment in the sport. The investment will be undertaken over the next five years, with England and Wales hosting the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2026 and the men’s game in 2030.

PM Sunak announced the increased investment, which is part of the government’s objective to increase physical activity among one million young people by 2030. The most major aspect of the concept would be the construction of 16 all-weather cricket domes in host towns around England for the 2026 event, after the first, which was completed in Bradford.

The goal is to construct the domes in varied communities so that they may be used for training in all weather conditions. £14 million (More than Rs 147 crores) of the funding will be distributed to three charitable organisations that assist youngsters from African or Caribbean backgrounds: Chance to Shine, Lord’s Taverners and ACE. Over the next five years, the investment is expected to enable 930,000 students to play cricket and provide 2,500 pieces of equipment to the participating schools.