Anthem Glitch Sparks Laughter Before England vs New Zealand World Cup Clash - Must Watch!

Before Thursday's Super Eight match between England and New Zealand at the R Premadasa Stadium, there was a technical issue. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup semifinal positions were up for grabs as New Zealand's national anthem inadvertently played in fast forward, making the players smile before the match.

The error in a match that defined their tournament was promptly recognised by the Black Caps players. Some noticed it immediately and began to laugh, not knowing if they should try to sing at their usual tempo or follow along at double speed. A growing number of puzzled smiles were captured on camera as the team lined up on the pitch in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Taller than his two much shorter teammates, Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra, batsman Finn Allen struggled to stay composed.

England vs New Zealand World Cup Update:

NZ new national anthem in India! #T20WorldCup2026#NZpic.twitter.com/hKVky1jELO

— Cilliers Visser (@Cilliersv) February 27, 2026

The first to be played was the anthem of New Zealand, which was played at over twice the speed due to a major technological error. The Kiwis found a humorous side as a number of players started laughing, even though the ICC made a grave error.

Fans watching from home noticed the mistake made by the ICC during the New Zealand national song, and numerous them pointed it out. Others attacked the ICC for insulting the Kiwi anthem (given it is an ICC tournament), while others thought it was humorous.

On a surface that had begun to flip during the previous game, Mitchell Santner, the captain of New Zealand, won the toss and chose to bat first. England made one change, replacing Jamie Overton with leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, while the Black Caps announced an unchanged starting lineup.

Rachin Ravindra was dismissed with his first ball by Rehan Ahmed, who had an instant effect on his World Cup debut. With a top-scoring 39 off 28 balls, Glenn Phillips attempted a counterattack, but England's spin combination of Rashid, Jacks, and Rehan continued to chip away. To prevent a late finish, Liam Dawson also joined the celebration with a crucial wicket. In the end, New Zealand scored 159 for 7 in their 20 overs. 

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