COLOMBO: New Zealand will embrace their status as Indian cricket fans’ “second favourite team” as they look to navigate a tough Super Eights group and reach the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup, all-rounder Daryl Mitchell said.

The 2021 finalists, who were knocked out in the group stage at the last edition, find themselves facing two must-win matches against former champions Sri Lanka and England after Saturday’s washout against Pakistan.

“We think of ourselves as India’s second favourite team and the support that we get in the country is really cool,” Mitchell told Reuters.

“Hopefully we could turn the sea of blue that we’re used to when we play against India into some black shirts as well.”

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