New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon plays cricket at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium

New Zealand Prime Minister

Christopher Luxon on Thursday played cricket at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium with Kiwi spinner Ajaz Patel, former batter Ross Taylor, and pacer Trent Boult.
During his visit, Luxon reflected on the long-standing cricketing ties between India and New Zealand, which have resulted in some of the sport's most historic moments.
Luxon took to Instagram, sharing pictures from his visit to the stadium where New Zealand players Boult, Mitchell Santner, and Bevon Jacobs are preparing for the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign opener against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on March 23.
In his post, Luxon reminisced about Ajaz Patel’s remarkable achievement of becoming only the third bowler in Test cricket history to take all ten wickets in a single inning during a match against India at Wankhede in 2021. He humorously added that despite Patel’s historic feat, he himself was not dismissed by the spinner.

"Nothing unites New Zealand and India more than our shared love of cricket. Right here at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Ajaz Patel took the third-best figures in the history of Test cricket. Just for the record, he didn’t get me out," Luxon wrote in his Instagram post.
Additionally, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president, Ajinkya Naik, issued a press release praising the visit.
"Today, as the President of the Mumbai Cricket Association, it was an absolute honour to welcome the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon, to the iconic Wankhede Stadium," Naik stated.
"We took him through the rich legacy of Mumbai cricket, highlighting Wankhede’s role in shaping some of India’s greatest cricketers and its historic moments, including the 2011 World Cup victory. Given the deep cricketing ties between India and New Zealand, it was a proud moment to showcase how Mumbai continues to be a powerhouse of talent and passion for the game." he added.
Luxon’s cricket connection also extended to his official visit to Delhi, where he shared a heart-warming moment with local children, playing a friendly game of cricket with former New Zealand international Ross Taylor. This gesture further strengthened the bond between the two nations.
The two countries’ cricketing rivalry was recently showcased in the ICC Champions Trophy Final in Dubai, where India defeated New Zealand. However, in a thrilling Test series last year, the Black Caps halted India’s winning run on home soil by defeating them in the series.