New Delhi: Thanks to the Indian Premier League, cricketers from across the globe are working closely with Indian franchises – an experience not only for the youngsters to cherish, but something which has also given stalwarts of the game plenty of opportunities to explore the Indian culture.


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Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes, who has been an intergral part of the Mumbai Indians coaching staff, was so impressed with his stay, that he named his daughter India.


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Jonty, regarded as the finest fielder to have played cricket, took to Twitter on Sunday where he posted an adorable photograph with his daughter with a message that read, "Happy Birthday baby India; 2 today #landofyourbirth."



In a surprise move, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to his tweet saying, "Happy birthday to India, from India.



The cricketer soon acknowledged the tweet and replied, "Thank u @narendramodi ji; baby India really has been blessed in the land of her birth, by so many amazing people #makeinindia."



In an interview to a daily, Rhodes had revealed that with the name like India, she will have the best of both worlds.


"What I love about India is that it`s a rich mix of culture, heritage and tradition. It is a very spiritual country, very forward-thinking nation. I really like that combination. What we really like about India is that every day we discover something new about this country. As people, we like discovering things about yourself and that`s hopefully what she will also discover," the legendary fielder said.


India was born in 2015 at Surya Mother and Child Care Hospital in Santacruz.


In 2016, Rhodes had even performed a puja for his daughter at Pejawar Mutt in Santacruz, Mumbai.