Mumbai, Apr 3 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to 49 sports personalities that included cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar as the country fights the coronavirus pandemic. The country is currently under a 21-day lockdown as it looks to fight back against the coronavirus outbreak.

Speaking on the interaction, Tendulkar said: "I had an opportunity to speak with Shri Narendra Modi ji, Shri Kiran Rijiju ji and other sportspersons about our personal views and experiences of how we have been dealing with the lockdown.

"Taking care of our elders who are most vulnerable and using this time to hear from them, their stories and experiences was something the Prime Minister resonated with. He highlighted and reaffirmed my belief that we should not let our guard down after the 14th of April, & how we manage that period will be very critical.

"I also suggested that as much as possible, I will use our way of greeting — saying ‘Namaste' instead of shaking hands, even after we overcome this pandemic.

"We also spoke about mental fitness being as important as physical fitness during this phase, & shared what I'm doing at home to keep fit.

"This is the time for our entire nation to come together and keep each other motivated. Like team spirit wins us games in sports, our nation should work as one team to overcome this!"

Earlier, Tendulkar donated Rs 50 lakh to join hands with the Indian government in helping fight the battle against the coronavirus outbreak that has seen the world come to a standstill. He contributed Rs 25 lakh each to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund and Chief Minister's Relief Fund.