Australian cricketer Steve Smith paid tribute to the 14th Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday, posting a rare photograph from their previous meeting in India.
The heartfelt message came via an Instagram story, where Smith remembered the moment he met the Tibetan spiritual leader alongside the Australian team during a Test series in India.
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Steve Smith wishes Dalai Lama on 90th birthday with rare photo from India-Australia Test tour
On July 6, as the Dalai Lama celebrated his 90th birthday, Smith acknowledged the occasion by sharing a throwback image from their 2017 encounter.
Steven Smith wishing the Dalai Lama a happy 90th birthday. pic.twitter.com/2SDsWT5MdB
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 9, 2025
The two last met in McLeod Ganj, a town located in Himachal Pradesh, India. It was during the Australian team’s visit for the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the series then levelled at 1-1. The squad took time out from training to visit the Tibetan monastery, where they sought blessings from the Dalai Lama.
Smith, who led the team at that time, joined the rest of the players in greeting the spiritual leader and even received personal advice about staying calm and spreading peace.
The Dalai Lama, born Tenzin Gyatso in 1935, is considered the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, especially within the Gelug school.