NEW DELHI: New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed his love for cricket during his India visit by playing a friendly game with children in Delhi.
In the pictures, the New Zealand PM and former international cricketer Ross Taylor could be seen playing gully cricket with children.
Posting on X, Luxon wrote, “Nothing unites New Zealand and India more than our shared love of cricket.”
Luxon’s visit to India, scheduled from March 16 to 20, includes high-level discussions with Indian leaders. During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, Luxon humorously acknowledged the competitive cricket rivalry between the two countries.
Referring to India’s recent victory over New Zealand in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy final, he joked, “I really appreciate that PM Modi didn’t raise New Zealand’s Champions Trophy loss to India, and I didn’t raise our Test victories in India. Let’s keep it that way and avoid a diplomatic incident,” drawing laughter from the audience.
India’s Champions Trophy win on March 9 marked their third title in the tournament’s history, while New Zealand had previously stunned India with a historic 3-0 whitewash in a home Test series in November 2024.
Despite these competitive clashes, Luxon’s cricket match in Delhi reinforced the friendly nature of their sporting rivalry.
Beyond cricket, the two leaders discussed ways to deepen cooperation in various fields, including defence, trade, and education. They signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Sports to promote collaboration in coaching, player exchanges, and sports science. As part of these efforts, India and New Zealand plan to host “Sporting Unity” events in 2026 to celebrate 100 years of sporting relations.
Luxon’s visit also saw the signing of a key defence pact and discussions on migration, Indo-Pacific security, and economic partnerships. PM Modi acknowledged New Zealand’s commitment to shared values in regional security and welcomed its participation in the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative.
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