New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon showcased his cricketing skills as he joined former India captain Kapil Dev for a game of street cricket in New Delhi. The duo formed a team to challenge New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel and former cricketer Ross Taylor, who retired from international cricket in 2022.
A video of the fun match, shared by PM Luxon on Instagram, has now gone viral. The clip captures Luxon and Kapil Dev enjoying the game alongside young kids at a special event in the Indian capital. Luxon stole the spotlight by taking two remarkable catches in the slip cordon, leaving Taylor and Ajaz Patel visibly surprised.
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“Working hard in India to hit it out of the park for Kiwis,” Luxon captioned the video in a joint post with Ajaz Patel. He also shared pictures on his X account (formerly Twitter), showing him fielding in the slips while Taylor took on the young bowlers.
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Banter Between PM Luxon and PM Modi Over Cricket
Earlier this week, Luxon met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and their conversation took a lighthearted turn with some cricket-related banter.
During their joint press conference, Luxon humorously addressed New Zealand’s loss to India in the Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai. In an attempt to avoid a “diplomatic incident,” he joked about not mentioning New Zealand’s Test series victory over India last year, which had eliminated India from the World Test Championship (WTC) Final race.
“I really appreciate that PM Modi didn’t bring up New Zealand’s Champions Trophy loss to India, and I didn’t mention our Test victories in India. Let’s keep it that way and avoid a diplomatic incident,” Luxon quipped, making Modi laugh.
Ross Taylor, who was present at the event, was equally amused by the exchange between the two leaders.
Luxon Praises India’s Dominance in Cricket
Despite the friendly jabs, Luxon acknowledged India’s recent success in international cricket, praising the team’s performances.
“During PM Modi’s tenure, the men in blue have been the most dominant side in cricket, most recently winning the Champions Trophy in Dubai against my men in black. They broke many New Zealanders’ hearts, including mine. I will be the bigger person and just say congratulations,” he said, as quoted by PTI.
The visit highlighted the growing camaraderie between India and New Zealand, with cricket serving as a bridge between the two nations.
