All posts tagged: New Zealand cricket team

‘Don’t make a stadium a taboo’: R Ashwin plays down Ahmedabad ghosts from 2023 ODI WC ahead of T20 World Cup final | Cricket News

‘Don’t make a stadium a taboo’: R Ashwin plays down Ahmedabad ghosts from 2023 ODI WC ahead of T20 World Cup final | Cricket News

Published by Webster

2 min readUpdated: Mar 8, 2026 02:11 PM IST Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has urged fans not to attach any mental baggage or superstition to cricket venues such as the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. He insisted that a ground should not become a “taboo” simply because of a past defeat. The loss to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium remains a talking point, especially due to the pre-match buildup regarding the pitch and the conditions. “You can lose a game at a venue and win the next one. What is there in this? We have won a lot of games in that stadium. Don’t make a stadium like this taboo,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’ while reflecting on the discussions around Ahmedabad ahead of the T20 World Cup final on Sunday. However, the 39-year-old suggested that within the Indian dressing room, there is little interest in revisiting that narrative. “I don’t think it should come into the way. I am sure, after a point of …

‘Bumrah is just a freak’: Michael Clarke backs India pacer to be decisive in T20 World Cup final | Cricket News

‘Bumrah is just a freak’: Michael Clarke backs India pacer to be decisive in T20 World Cup final | Cricket News

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 7, 2026 03:55 PM IST With India about to play the New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final this Sunday in Ahmedabad, former Australian captain Michael Clarke said fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah could very well be what wins the title for the hosts on the biggest occasion. Speaking on the Beyond 23 podcast – Clarke called Bumrah the most important player in cricket, in all forms of the game, by a long way. “Bumrah… he’s just a freak. Across all three forms of the game. By a distance the most important player in the world right now,” Clarke stated, and went on to say that the Indian bowler’s capability to perform with both the new ball, and when the innings is coming to an end, makes him particularly useful in T20 cricket. Clarke also said that captains often find it a problem to work out when to use Bumrah in the shortest form of the game. “He gets wickets with the new ball, and bowls the hardest overs at the death. …

‘India has pressure of 1.5 billion people, they’ve already lost a final in Ahmedabad’: Shoaib Akhtar on India facing home pressure against New Zealand | Cricket News

‘India has pressure of 1.5 billion people, they’ve already lost a final in Ahmedabad’: Shoaib Akhtar on India facing home pressure against New Zealand | Cricket News

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 7, 2026 02:43 PM IST The last time India played a World Cup final at Narendra Modi Stadium at Ahmedabad, it was in the 2023 ODI World Cup when the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team lost by six wickets against Australia. With the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team facing New Zealand in the final at Ahmedabad on Sunday, it will be the fourth time the two nations will be facing each other in a T20 World Cup match. With New Zealand winning all the three encounters against India in T20 World Cup history, the Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand side will hope to stun the defending champions and win their maiden World Cup title. Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar believes that India will also have the pressure of ‘1.5 billion fans’ as well as memories of the 2023 ODI World Cup final loss against Australia at the same ground. “If the wicket at Ahmedabad grips and if it’s favourable for spinners, the par score will be around 200 or 175. Safe score would be 200 …

NZ vs PAK 2nd ODI: Ben Sears takes 5 wickets as New Zealand defeat Pakistan by 84 runs, take unassailable 2-0 lead | Cricket News

NZ vs PAK 2nd ODI: Ben Sears takes 5 wickets as New Zealand defeat Pakistan by 84 runs, take unassailable 2-0 lead | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Pakistan’s woes in the ODI format continued on Tuesday when the Mohammad Rizwan-captained side fell to New Zealand by 84 runs in the second ODI match, leading to the hosts taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match ODI series. This was the Men in Green’s 4th straight ODI loss since the Champions Trophy where they were eliminated after losing back to back matches against New Zealand and India. The Kiwis’ Ben Sears took 5 wickets to break the back of Pakistan’s batting lineup with only Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah putting up some sort of resistance with 73 runs and 51 runs respectively. The duo, who both scored their maiden ODI half centuries, put on a 60-run partnership for the 9th wicket before Pakistan were bundled out in 41.2 overs. Rizwan and Babar Azam both failed to fire while Pakistan’s top order suffered a familiar collapse with the first 5 batters scoring in single digits. If you look at the whole Pakistan batting lineup, 8 batters scored in single digits which paints a not …

‘There are some silver linings from the series’: Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha backs new faces after 1-4 drubbing against New Zealand | Cricket News

‘There are some silver linings from the series’: Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha backs new faces after 1-4 drubbing against New Zealand | Cricket News

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Pakistan’s new T20 captain Salman Ali Agha said he was not disheartened about his team’s performance where they lost 1-4 to hosts New Zealand, adding that the new players will eventually find their feet in the team. Pakistan are currently in a transition phase in the shortest format with stalwarts like Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam not getting selected for the New Zealand tour. “Look the conditions in New Zealand are normally challenging with the bounce, pace and movement in the pitches, so for players coming to play here for the first time it is always going to be difficult,” Agha said after his side lost he fifth and final T20I against the Kiwis on Wednesday. “It was not easy for them to bat in these conditions. There are some silver linings from the series and some concerns as well but we have to address them before we go into the Asia Cup later this year,” he said. Story continues below this ad Salman, who was in good form in the series and scored a …

New Zealand smash highest team total in Champions Trophy history in semifinal match vs South Africa | Cricket News

New Zealand smash highest team total in Champions Trophy history in semifinal match vs South Africa | Cricket News

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New Zealand smashed the highest ever team total in Champions Trophy history when they put up 362/6 against South Africa in the 2nd semifinal in Lahore on Wednesday. This is the 3rd time that the highest total in the history of the tournament has been breached in the 2025 edition alone with England’s 351/8 chased down by Australia when they scored 356/5 last month in their Group B encounter. Interestingly, both the matches have been in Lahore. Before that, the highest ever score was also held by the Kiwis when they had scored 347/4 against USA at the Oval in 2004. Hosts Pakistan’s 338/4 in Oval in 2017 against India is currently in the 5th position. In the match on Wednesday, both Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson scored centuries while Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips chipped in with quickfire knocks to help the Kiwis post the massive total. Story continues below this ad New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to bat against South Africa in the second semifinal of the Champions …

Champions Trophy | ‘There’s that little bit more class in the South African line-up’: Ricky Ponting backs SA against NZ in 2nd semifinal | Cricket News

Champions Trophy | ‘There’s that little bit more class in the South African line-up’: Ricky Ponting backs SA against NZ in 2nd semifinal | Cricket News

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Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting on Tuesday said that South Africa are favourites against New Zealand in the second semifinal, scheduled to take place in Lahore on Wednesday. Ponting reasons that the Proteas’ deep batting lineup is the reason that they hold the edge over the Kiwis. “If I look at both the sides, I think there’s that little bit more class in the South African line-up. They bat deep. I think they might have a little bit too much power for New Zealand,” Pointing opined on ICC Review on Tuesday. “I’m actually going with South Africa (to win the contest) as much as I’ve praised New Zealand,” he added. Story continues below this ad Ponting also feels the likes of opener Ryan Rickelton, skipper Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen could make things difficult for the Kiwis. “He’s (Klaasen) very important because he is such a dangerous player of spin bowling. He’s such a great, clean hitter of spin. He is important to the middle order but South Africa bat deep …

From T20 World Cup to ICC Champions Trophy – Varun Chakravarthy’s career comes full circle at the same venue | Cricket News

From T20 World Cup to ICC Champions Trophy – Varun Chakravarthy’s career comes full circle at the same venue | Cricket News

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In November 2021, after a wicketless outing against Scotland in The T20 World Cup here, Varun Chakaravarthy walked away never to be seen in India colours, till October 2024. As he took the field at the venue again on Sunday, he felt nervous. He may have cemented his spot in India’s T20 side on the back of strong showings in the IPL, but in ODIs there have been a lot of doubts – whether he would be able to retain the same mystery, will he be able to bowl impactful spells when batsmen have time to see him off. Through the course of the evening, Varun will go about answering every single one of those questions and also vindicate his inclusion in the squad that came at the expense of a batting talent like Yashasvi Jaiswal. When India’s think tank assembled in January to pick the provisional Champions Trophy squad, they had spent a considerable time pondering whether to include Varun or not. To back up his exceptional numbers in T20s, Varun had shown in …

India hope to avoid sluggish strike rates, confronted with New Zealand’s cloying spinners | Cricket News

India hope to avoid sluggish strike rates, confronted with New Zealand’s cloying spinners | Cricket News

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Watching India’s batting group bat in the nets on this trip, one aspect that has stood out is how flexible they have been when it comes to preparing for the slow conditions they are facing in the middle. Across their sessions at the ICC Academy ground, they have been as random as a group can get, in terms of their approach. One moment, they are tonking the pacers and spinners out of the park; next moment they are nudging the ball here and there; then out of nowhere, they would show their imaginative side with reverse-sweeps, paddle sweeps and scoops. In two matches they may have had a comfortable outing in the middle, but there are tough challenges that lie ahead. They are yet to be tested while batting first, where they would be forced to take a lot more risk than they are used to, in search of a good total to defend. On Sunday, with their place in the semifinals secured, India are set to face New Zealand who irrespective of when the …