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It was a bad day at the office for India as New Zealand brushed them aside with an eight-wicket win, extending their unbeaten T20 World Cup streak versus the Men in Blue. India are now staring at group-stage exit from the ongoing T20 showpiece, having lost both their opening contests against Pakistan and New Zealand.
Trent Boult and Ish Sodhi packed Indian batters before Daryl Mitchell hammered 49 off 35 to hand India a heartbreaking defeat in a lop-sided Super 12 Group B contest of the marquee event. The defeat seemed more hurtful, especially after losing the opener to arch-rivals Pakistan a week ago.
While the focus was on Pakistan before the start of the marquee event, New Zealand have turned out to be India's real nemesis. The sorrow of two defeats in two games was evident on the face of Indian players.
India's slim chances of making it to semis
The stiff Kiwi challenge has now hurt India twice in four months. An unpleasant opponent for the Indian team at ICC events, New Zealand had defeated India by eight wickets in the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June to lift the coveted Mace. In 2000, New Zealand had also defeated India by four wickets in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy.
As if snatching a major ICC title just four months ago wasn't enough, New Zealand again seem to have made life worse for Indian fans. After the latest drubbing to New Zealand, Kohli's men have to now rely on Afghanistan's result against the Kiwis to make it to the top-four. New Zealand now must beat Afghanistan but not by a big margin, and in the unlikeliest of scenarios, one of minnows Namibia and Scotland need to pull off an upset against the Kiwis.
Bitter memory of 2019 World Cup
In the last four ICC events against India, New Zealand have emerged victorious. It started with the 2016 T20 World Cup battle before crushing India's dreams in the semis of 2019 ODI World Cup. The WTC Final and 2021 T20 World Cup defeat have turned the prospect of facing 'nice guys' to a bitter memory.
MS Dhoni, the current mentor of the Indian contingent, witnessed India's slump on the bland night. The ex-India skipper was in tears after getting run-out at a crucial juncture in the 2019 World Cup semi-final against the BlackCaps. He bid adieu to international cricket a year later but life seemed to have come full circle for the World Cup-winning Indian captain.
