India and New Zealand World Cup 2023 fixture is not a banana peel game: Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar dismissed any notion of New Zealand as mere dark horses in the ICC World Cup 2023, emphasising their formidable reputation. The cricketing legend underlined the Black Caps' impressive track record against India in past World Cup encounters, unequivocally labelling them a strong and competitive unit, eliminating any banana-peel surprise factor associated with their performance.

Gavaskar firmly rejected the notion that India's impending World Cup encounter with New Zealand in Dharamsala on Sunday (October 22) carries a banana-peel element. He aptly cautioned cricket enthusiasts, asserting that such a tag would only be applicable if India were to suffer defeat at the hands of a significantly inferior side, a scenario deemed improbable even on a subpar performance day.

"It is not a banana-peel game. A banana-peel game is where you're playing a side you're expected to beat but it suddenly plays out of its skin. New Zealand is not that, New Zealand is a formidable team. New Zealand have been in the finals of the last two World Cups, and they have been in the semifinal eight times," the 74-year-old stated in conversation with India Today.

Also Check: ODI World Cup 2023 Points Table

Sunil Gavaskar on Kiwi dominance against India at the marquee events

New Zealand boast a commendable World Cup history against India, successfully fending off the Men In Blue since their defeat in the Super six of the 2003 edition in South Africa. Across 12 editions, the Kiwis hold a noteworthy 5-3 lead in World Cup encounters against the Indian cricket team, affirming their consistent prowess in this prestigious tournament.

Despite their World Cup title remaining elusive, New Zealand's impressive record includes eight semifinal appearances and two occasions as runners-up in their World Cup history. Moreover, their tactical acumen is enhanced by the favourable conditions in Dharamshala for their upcoming encounter. Addressing the Kiwis' historical supremacy over India in major tournaments, Gavaskar remarked,

"I think it is because New Zealand always raise the level of their game at World Cups while India doesn't sometime have the run of the luck. Take the 2019 semifinal, for example, India batted on the second day when it was overcast. But these are the ifs and buts of the game that we talk about. Clearly, New Zealand have the sense of belief that they can upstage India's top-order batters."