Rampaging India have a point to prove against thorny old foes

Rohit Sharma and Co will aim to make amends for the 2019 World Cup semis exit when flawless India face New Zealand in the first semi-final

It is certainly not a good time to face India. In great form, unbeaten in the World Cup and enjoying the home advantage, they are clear favourites against any opponent. But if that opponent is New Zealand, you can be sure there will be no shortage of motivation either.

A World Cup semi-final against the Kiwis is one game India's players have been waiting for since they were knocked out at the same stage by Kane Williamson's side four years ago.

There are many players who will be in action at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday who have a score to settle. That shock loss at Old Trafford meant Rohit Sharma's five centuries in the tournament went down the drain; Virat Kohli's captaincy career remains incomplete without an ICC crown; KL Rahul's fine adaptability, switching from opening to middle-order, was wasted; Jasprit Bumrah's sterling bowling on way to 18 wickets in nine games and Ravindra Jadeja's superb comeback innings also proved in vain.

Since then India have whitewashed the Black Caps in a three-match bilateral series, but it is not the same when the stage is not of that level. The 2023 World Cup semi-final thus provides Rohit and Co a perfect platform to exact revenge.

There are many other reasons for the hosts to be extra motivated. In big events, the Kiwis have hurt them so many times in recent years - defeating them at Nagpur in the 2016 T20 World Cup opener, crushing the Kohli-led side in the 2021 ICC World Test Championship final, and handing an eight-wicket hammering in the 2021 T20 World Cup at Dubai.