Chennai: A ruling AIADMK minister in Tamil Nadu on Thursday likened the Indian cricket team’s 18-run loss to New Zealand in the semi-final of the Cricket World Cup to the “temporary setback” suffered by his party in the April 18 Lok Sabha polls in the state.

Fisheries minister D Jayakumar quipped that the Virat Kohli-led team could have won had he played in the squad. “For sure, they would have won if I had played. Get me a chance,” a smiling Jayakumar said, leaving his cabinet colleague K Pandiarajan and others in splits while interacting with reporters. The senior AIADMK leader, however, was confident that the team would bounce back and so would his party, in the future.

“Winning and losing is common in politics and sports. Today’s defeat is tomorrow’s victory. Much like how we suffered a temporary setback in the Lok Sabha polls, the Indian team has also suffered only a temporary setback,” he said in response to the national team crashing out of the World Cup.

“In the coming years, the Indian team will win, and AIADMK will always win (in polls),” he added.

The AIADMK was routed in the April 18 Lok Sabha polls, with the ruling party winning the lone Theni Parliamentary constituency as part of its-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state.

The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) had swept the polls, winning 38 of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

On Wednesday, India crashed out of the cricket World Cup being held in England, following an 18-run loss to New Zealand, despite fighting knocks from all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.