New Zealand cricketers are wearing black armbands during the second T20I against India in Raipur on January 23, 2026.
The gesture coincided with India opting
to field after winning the toss, with New Zealand, already trailing 0-1 in the series, aiming to level proceedings in Raipur. Devon Conway and Tim Seifert opened the innings, wearing the somber bands as they strode out under cloudy skies.
Conway exploded off the first over from Arshdeep Singh, smashing four boundaries, including a towering six over backward point to set an aggressive tone. Seifert complemented with a quickfire 24 off 13 balls, but both fell early-Conway skyed a slower ball from Harshit Rana in the fourth over, while Seifert departed soon after. New Zealand's top order showed promise despite the mounting pressure of the chase. At the time of publication, they are 127 for 4 at the end of 12 overs, with Rachin Ravindra approaching a half-century.
One thing that has caught the eye is that all of the Kiwi players are wearing black armbands in the match.
Why are New Zealand players wearing Black Armbands?
The black armbands honored victims of devastating storms and landslides ravaging New Zealand's upper North Island. Record rainfall triggered a fatal landslide at a Mount Maunganui campsite on January 22, claiming two lives amid widespread flooding. Emergency services rescued stranded residents from rooftops as states of emergency blanketed Northland and East Cape. Tauranga recorded 295mm of rain in 30 hours, turning areas into "war zones" with uprooted trees and overturned campervans, prompting national solidarity from the BlackCaps.
