Watch: UK PM Sunak Shows Off His Batting Skills, Takes On Pacer Anderson, Upcoming Cricketers At Practice Session

Cricket-loving UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joined the England Men’s National Team on Friday in a practice session and showed off his batting skills as he faced deliveries from cricketers James Anderson and other budding cricketers.

Sunak’s batting skills were eye-catching and would have made professional cricketers proud as he did not flinch as talented, upcoming young cricketers bowled their best deliveries. Sunak was bowled out once or twice but did not flinch and faced those deliveries.

Sunak, in the video, is seen talking to cricketer Anderson and he tells him that he visited earlier because he knew that he would be up against the pacer who recently picked up his 700th wicket.

“Looks like I’ll be hanging around here for the rest of the day. Just let the office know I’ll be back later,” Sunak says in the video, clearly showing how much he enjoys the sport.

At one point, he even asks Anderson to take it easy on him, to which the bowler responded, “We’ll see”.

Sunak even remembered one young cricketer who caught him out and proceeded to greet her. The video also showed the moment when the young cricketer caught him out.

10 Downing Street posted the video with the caption, “Am I ready for the call up?” tagging England Cricket Team on X. The England Cricket Team quipped: “Not bad, perhaps a few more net sessions first”.

Sunak also unveiled GBP 35 million investment in grassroots cricket facilities and widening access to the sport within schools which is part of his larger initiative to get one million more young people active by 2030.

Under this new initiative by the 43-year-old Southampton-born leader of Indian heritage, the total government investment is expected to deliver around 2,500 pieces of new equipment to every school involved in the programme and help to get 930,000 pupils playing cricket over the next five years.

“I love cricket, that’s no secret… I first experienced the magic of cricket watching Hampshire play at my local ground in Southampton as a child,” said Sunak.

“For young people watching their first match today, the draw of getting outside and enjoying the game is just as strong, particularly as we look forward to hosting the women’s and men’s T20 World Cups. There remains huge potential to grow the sport even further and open it up to everyone, from all backgrounds and in all parts of the country,” Sunak was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.