T20 World Cup begins with a bang

The Twenty20 Cricket World Cup's opening match between New Zealand and hosts India was dramatic in fashion, but surprising in result as the hosts were left stunned.

New Zealand, also known as 'The Black Caps', only scored 126 runs in their 20 overs, having elected to bat, leaving India with a task that, on paper, seemed simple.

India and the rest of the viewing country - including a capacity of 45,000 in Nagpur - were shocked, though, as the tournament favorites were dismantled by the Kiwi's slow-bowling and managed just 79 runs from 18.1 overs.

"They bowled well, but we lacked adaptability," India captain MS Dhoni said after the match. "126 was a decent score to chase but our batters let us down."

It was exactly the beginning that neutral fans of cricket were hoping for, with the shortest format of the sport bringing with it incredible drama and excitement throughout. For the home fans, pressure is now reaching breaking point, with a crunch match against rivals Pakistan in Kolkata on Saturday already a must-win.

"What's important is how to turn around and how to come back strong and I feel this team has done this plenty of times," Dhoni added.

In the coming days we will see some of the other tournament favorites as England face the West Indies on Wednesday afternoon, before Australia and South Africa enter the fray against New Zealand and England respectively in what should be one of the days of the tournament.

The final will be contested on April 3 in Kolkata.