The Prime Minister has touted the importance of 'sports diplomacy' in India, as his trade mission nears its end.
Former Blackcaps captain Ross Taylor and spinner Ajaz Patel have joined the 40-strong delegation on the trip, and have been at the Prime Minister's side for a number of cricket-focused events.
Their presence, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said, was deliberate.
New Zealand and India will be celebrating 100 years of sporting relations this year, and this year marks 70 years since the two countries first played cricket against each other.
Luxon said while channel-hopping in his hotel he had seen New Zealand cricketers on Indian television, advertising products New Zealand would never see, and there was space to leverage the high-esteem which New Zealand cricketers are held in.
"So we want to use all the touchpoints that we possibly have, in a people-to-people sense, and obviously in a defence and security sense as well. So they've been really magnificent and hugely respected," he said.
Thursday's itinerary saw a stop at Wankhede Stadium, scene of Patel's historic 10-for in 2021.
Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Mumbai Indians imports Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, and Bevan Jacobs joined the visit to Wankhede, which saw Luxon and Sports Minister Mark Mitchell hit a few balls around the hallowed ground.
Patel, coaching the MPs on how to spin the ball and telling them about the differences in the soil, said he had a special connection to Mumbai.
"This is obviously my most enjoyable place to play," he said.
"Mumbai is my home, somewhere I was born and brought up, so every time I come back, it's special. I've got a lot of family here, so that connection to Mumbai is massive. I suppose it's kind of similar to what we're talking about right now and why we're here right? It's that connection between New Zealand and India, I guess I'm a display of that to some degree."
Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Luxon was singing Patel's praises, suggesting the stadium should be re-named after the Mumbai-born cricketer.
Earlier in the trip, the group played some street cricket in New Delhi, organised by charity group STAIRS, with former Indian great Kapil Dev in attendance.
Luxon, an avid cricket fan, said the topic of cricket constantly came up while he was in India, including with the Rear Admiral of the Navy on Thursday morning.
"The opening stanza is always about the cricket, and recent series, ones we've lost, which they've won, and vice-versa, and banter," he said.
"It's actually a conversation-opener that then actually leads you into the real agenda of what you want to talk about. So I think there's a huge opportunity around sports diplomacy."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Luxon had also discussed sport, as India prepares a bid to host the 2036 Olympics.
"[It] recognises that New Zealand is one of the real high performing sports countries in the world. We talked a lot about how we can actually help build capability, capacity, and sports management, but also in the disciplines themselves," Luxon said.
"Using all the tools we have available to make the connections, to deepen those relationships, is really important."
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