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DGMO Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai uses a cricket analogy referencing Virat Kohli and the Ashes to highlight India’s layered defence response during Operation Sindoor.
In a sharp and evocative statement reflecting India's readiness and layered defence strategy during Operation Sindoor, DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai on Monday reached for a cricket analogy to underscore the Indian Armed Forces’ tactical depth and impenetrable shield against Pakistani offensives.
“Targeting our airfields and logistics is way too tough… I saw that Virat Kohli has just retired from Test cricket; he is one of my favourites,” Lt Gen Ghai said during Monday's press briefing in Delhi. Drawing inspiration from a 1970s Ashes series proverb, he added, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if Thommo don't get ya, Lillee must.”
“If you see the layers, you’ll understand what I am trying to say,” he added. “Even if you crossed all the layers, one of the layers of this grid system will hit you.”
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His analogy wasn’t just a nostalgic nod to cricket fans—it was a warning. A clear message that India’s multi-layered defence strategy, like the legendary Australian bowling duo, offers no escape to any adversary that dares to test it.
Operation Sindoor, carried out jointly by the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, targeted terror hubs deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), with India responding to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
‘Pahalgam tak paap ka ghada bhar chuka tha’
During the same briefing, Lt Gen Ghai remarked on the changing nature of terrorism: “In the last few years, the character of terrorist activities has changed. Innocent civilians were being attacked… Pahalgam tak paap ka ye ghada bhar chuka tha.”
Meanwhile, Air Marshal AK Bharti provided details on the aerial operations conducted under Operation Sindoor. He displayed images of the Indian Air Force’s targeted strikes and confirmed that numerous drone and UAV attacks from Pakistan were thwarted using indigenously developed soft and hard kill counter-UAS systems.
“Our battle-proven systems stood the test of time and took them head on,” he said. “Another highlight has been the stellar performance of the indigenous air defence system—the Akash system. Putting together and operationalising the potent AD environment has been possible only because of budgetary and policy support from the Government of India in the last decade.”
Air Marshal Bharti also lamented the Pakistani military’s decision to act in defence of terrorists. “It is a pity that the Pakistani military chose to intervene—and that for terrorists—and hence we chose to respond,” he said, affirming that India’s military infrastructure remains fully operational and ready for any future missions.
India also revealed the wreckage of multiple enemy assets, including the debris of a PL-15 air-to-air missile of Chinese origin used by Pakistan, as well as YIHA and Songar drones shot down by Indian forces.
