In a major blunder, a sped-up version of New Zealand's national anthem was played in Colombo.
New Zealand faced England in their T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s match at R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo on Friday (February 27).
Ahead of the start of the game, a hilarious moment became the talk of the town. When the customary national anthem was being played at the venue, the Kiwi players and backroom staff burst out laughing.
The reason players were struggling to maintain a straight face was the sped-up version of New Zealand's anthem. The situation turned even more awkward as the anthem continued to play at wrong speed, with cameras capturing New Zealand’s backroom staff looking equally amused.
Here’s the video:
Coming to the match, England defeated New Zealand by four wickets to top Super 8s Group 2 of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Chasing 160, Will Jacks' quickfire 32* off 18 balls saw England overcome a top-order collapse, overhauling the target with three deliveries to spare.
The win for England meant Pakistan are still alive in tournament and need a big win against Sri Lanka in their last Super 8 clash on Saturday (February 28) to overtake the Black Caps on net run rate and seal the semifinal berth.
Pakistan need to win by more than 64 runs if they bat first. While chasing, the Salman Ali Agha-led side have to overhaul the target with at least 40 deliveries to spare.