ODI World Cup 2023: New Zealand cricketers and their families meet Dalai Lama in Dharamsala

New Zealand players and their families visited Dalai Lama's Dharamsala residence and met the Tibetan spiritual leader. The Kiwis are currently in Dharamsala waiting to play their sixth match in the ongoing ODI World Cup, scheduled for Saturday, October 28 versus age-old rivals Australia. The Blackcaps recently suffered their first loss of the campaign against hosts India after notching up four wins on the trot. 

Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, and other New Zealand players must have been inspired after the meeting with Dalai Lama. They also posed for a picture with the wise man after their meeting. Meanwhile, speaking of their campaign so far, New Zealand registered wins against England, Netherlands, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan before tasting defeat against India.

Also Check: ODI World Cup 2023 Schedule

Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl first in the high-octan match. Mohammed Shami, who was playing his first match in the ODI World Cup 2023, stood out with a five-wicket haul. Tom Latham's me were bowled out for 273.

In reply, Rohit and Shubman Gill got the hosts off to a flier while Virat Kohli played a brilliant knock of 95 off 104 balls. Kohli'ss partnership of 78 of 83 balls with Ravindra Jadeja bailed India out of a precarious situation as they had lost KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav in quick succession. In the end, Rohit's men won by four wickets with two overs to spare.

Can New Zealand bounce back against Australia?

Meanwhile, the Aussies had a forgettable start to the World Cup, losing two games in a row against India and South Africa. However, they have got their campaign back on track with consecutive wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Prior to the game against the Blackcaps, the 'Men in Yellow' take on the Netherlands on Wednesday, October 25. While the Netherlands have shown promise with an upset win over South Africa, Pat Cummins and Co. will start as the overwhelming favourites. If Australia win this game and the one against New Zealand, they will be firmly back in contention for a semi-final spot. However, beating New Zealand will not be a straightforward task as a lot of players in their camp are in scintillating form.

Also Check: ODI World Cup 2023 Points Table