NEW DELHI: Both India and New Zealand have secured their spots in the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy and will face each other in their final group-stage match on Sunday. While the match is a dead rubber, both teams will approach it with full intensity, using it as crucial preparation for the knockout stage — especially since they could potentially meet again in the final.
As India prepare to take on New Zealand, former New Zealand cricketer and ex-CEO of the country’s cricket board David White believes it will be one of the tournament’s most exciting contests.
“I think if you look at world events over the past long time, India will be worried,” White told TimesofIndia.com in an interview.
“New Zealand have a fantastic record against India, and although they lost to them in the recent World Cup, it was still a close game. I think Mitchell scored a brilliant hundred. It’s always a great game and a great contest between New Zealand and India, and it’s always played in good spirit—very competitive, but in good spirit,” White had told TimesofIndia.com during the ILT20 season in the UAE.
White has played a crucial role in the resurgence of New Zealand cricket.
During his tenure from 2012 to 2023, the New Zealand men’s team won the inaugural World Test Championship and reached the final of three World Cups — 2021 T20 World Cup, 2015 and 2019 ODI World Cups.
New Zealand finished as runners-up in all three, losing the 2021 T20 World Cup final to Australia, the 2015 ODI World Cup final to Australia, and the 2019 ODI World Cup final to England.
Despite those heartbreaks, White emphasised that New Zealand took great pride in their achievements during this period.
“I started in 2012, which feels like a long time ago now. We appointed Brendon McCullum as captain that year, and then Mike Hesson as coach. Brendon really took control, much like he has done with England now, and led from the front. I think, along with a very good high-performance program and some great talent—players like Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, and others—we had a lot of success.
“Looking back, making the final of the 2015 World Cup was a huge achievement. We were beaten by Australia, but the heartbreak came in 2019, losing it all—that was difficult. But then, winning the World Test Championship was a really special moment. It’s been a great era for New Zealand cricket, and now we have some amazing players coming through,” White said.
