Indian Cricket Team Engages with Rugby Icon Keven Mealamu in Auckland

Indian Cricket Stars Meet Rugby Legend in Auckland

On November 4, the Indian cricket team enjoyed a unique interaction with renowned New Zealand rugby player Keven Mealamu in Auckland, coinciding with the first ODI against the Blackcaps. Captain Shubman Gill, along with prominent players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, received custom rugby jerseys from Mealamu during this memorable encounter. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared this special moment on social media, highlighting the camaraderie between the two sports.

A special moment before the start of play Captain @ShubmanGill, @imVkohli and @ImRo45 meet with the legendary Keven Mealamu, a titan of New Zealand rugby and are presented with personalized rugby jerseys. #TeamIndia | @AllBlacks

Legacy of Keven Mealamu

Keven Mealamu, born on March 20, 1979, is celebrated as one of the greatest hookers in All Blacks history. His warm engagement with the Indian cricket team exemplified the strong bonds that exist between various sporting communities in New Zealand.

Road to 2027 ODI World Cup

In the first of five ODIs against New Zealand, Indian captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to chase. This series marks a crucial step towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, with India looking to improve their ODI performance in New Zealand, where their last win was in February 2019. Since then, India has faced challenges, suffering defeats in two series and experiencing two washed-out matches. Their recent ODI record has been inconsistent, with three wins and three losses across six series since their Champions Trophy victory in early 2025. In their last ODI series against New Zealand, India lost 2-1.

Match Squads

Teams: New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner. India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh.