Prime Minister Narendra Modi bursts into laughter as NZ PM Christopher Luxon cracks joke on India beating New Zealand in Champions Trophy 2025 - WATCH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi bursts into laughter as NZ PM Christopher Luxon cracks joke on India beating New Zealand in Champions Trophy 2025 - WATCH
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon in frame

Strengthening bilateral connections was the main topic of extensive discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart, Christopher Luxon, in New Delhi on Monday. But, as Luxon pointed out in jest, cricket was not on the agenda. Are you wondering why? Luxon joked that he had purposefully avoided talking about cricket to avoid a "diplomatic issue," considering how the men's cricket teams of the two countries have been at odds in recent international tournaments, and PM Modi erupted in laughter.

New Zealand PM's joke about Champions Trophy

"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 joked.

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PM Modi's appreciation for the lighthearted cricket banter was evident in his reaction. Ross Taylor, a former cricket player from New Zealand who was among the visiting party, laughed at the reference as well.

India won their first 50-over ICC trophy since 2013 on March 9 after defeating New Zealand in the Champions Trophy final. In 2019, India lost to New Zealand in the ODI World Cup semifinals. A major factor in India's early elimination from the 2022 T20 World Cup was the BlackCaps. But India retaliated, crushing New Zealand in the Mumbai semi-final to eliminate them from the 2023 World Cup.

In 2024, New Zealand made history by defeating the hosts in their first-ever Test series when they returned to India. India's chances of making it to the World Test Championship final were severely damaged as Tom Latham-led team outclassed Rohit Sharma's team, winning all three games. Following a 1-3 series loss in Australia earlier this year, India ultimately lost out on a position in the final.

With a double over New Zealand in the 2025 Champions Trophy, Rohit Sharma and his team exacted their revenge. With skipper Rohit leading from the front in a brilliant 252-run chase, India defeated a Mitchell Santner-led team in the final after overcoming the BlackCaps in the group stage.