New Zealand Captain Mitchell Santner Says India Under Pressure Ahead of T20 World Cup Final
Ahmedabad: Mitchell Santner, captain of the New Zealand national cricket team, believes that India national cricket team will be under significant pressure when the two sides meet in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Speaking to the media a day before the final, Santner said his team is excited for the big clash and acknowledged that India, playing in front of their home crowd, will carry the burden of expectations as they look to defend the title.
Santner said during the pre-match press conference, “The goal is to silence the crowd, but cricket always presents many challenges and they keep changing. I think India are under a lot of pressure to win at home.”
The New Zealand captain added that his team understands the importance of the World Cup final and is looking forward to the contest. “I’m very excited. We’ve played here before, so there are no secrets. The boys are very excited for tomorrow. It’s basically a one-game shootout,” he said.
Santner also admitted that he had not yet seen the pitch at the large Ahmedabad venue but expects a high-scoring contest.
He also praised India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has been outstanding throughout the tournament, taking 10 wickets at an average of 15. Santner highlighted Bumrah’s dangerous yorkers and sharp bouncers, which could prove crucial for India in the final.
“The way Bumrah has been bowling, he can be the talk of the match,” the 34-year-old added.
Reflecting on New Zealand’s journey to the final, Santner said the team faced several challenges throughout the tournament but learned valuable lessons from previous encounters with India, including bilateral series.
“We’ve been challenged a few times. We’ll learn from bilateral series, but a World Cup final is different,” he said.
The left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder also made it clear that New Zealand would not hesitate to spoil the home team’s celebrations if given the opportunity. “I have no problem breaking a few hearts and winning the trophy,” Santner said.
Talking about India’s aggressive batting approach, he stressed the importance of early wickets if New Zealand want to control the match. “India can go hard from the start and continue till the end. The only way to stop them is to take wickets at the top,” he explained.
Despite the significance of the occasion, Santner emphasized that the team’s mindset will remain focused on execution. “The mindset is the same. It’s a final, but at the end of the day it’s another game,” he said.
He also pointed out how crucial it will be to control the scoring rate in what could be a high-scoring match. In India’s semifinal against England national cricket team at the Wankhede Stadium, a total of 499 runs were scored.
“It will depend on how you can turn 250 into 230. If you can restrict a team to around 220, you have a good chance,” Santner explained.
Santner also spoke about India’s mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, acknowledging his quality and the challenge he presents. Chakravarthy is currently the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 13 wickets, although he enters the final after his most expensive spell (1/64) against England.
With the Ahmedabad pitch expected to assist spinners, Chakravarthy could be a potential match-winner for India. Santner concluded by stressing the importance of discipline and consistency in such a big game.
“You have to stay consistent with your approach. You follow the process and execute it,” he said.
