New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has delivered a bold message ahead of the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, saying his side would not mind “breaking a few hearts” if it helps them lift the trophy against India national cricket team.
The final is scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad on 08 March, where New Zealand will face the hosts in what promises to be a high-intensity contest. Santner’s remarks have already gone viral on social media, with many fans comparing his statement to the famous pre-final comment made by Pat Cummins before the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup final.
Speaking ahead of the decider, the 34-year-old spinner acknowledged that New Zealand are not widely considered favourites but insisted his team is capable of producing a match-winning performance.
“It’s obviously a challenge. Everyone knows we’re probably not the favourite, but we don’t mind,” Santner said. “We know if we do our little things well and put in a strong team performance, it can put us in a pretty good position to hopefully lift the trophy. And yes, we don’t mind breaking a few hearts if it means winning the trophy for once.”
Santner also pointed out that his side gained confidence from their semi-final victory over South Africa national cricket team, who had been unbeaten throughout the tournament before losing to New Zealand. According to the Kiwi skipper, the result showed that even strong teams can falter in knockout matches.
“The other night we saw South Africa playing very good cricket all the way through the tournament and then they had a little hiccup against us and suddenly they were out,” he said. “For us it’s about taking confidence from that and knowing that if we go about our business in the same way, we can upset another big team.”
Santner also suggested that the pressure would be heavier on India, who are playing the final on home soil.
“There’s obviously a lot of pressure on them to win this World Cup at home,” he said. “Winning a home World Cup would be very special, but that also comes with added pressure. If we can go out there and try to put that pressure back on them, we’ll see what happens.”
New Zealand have previously reached the T20 World Cup final only once, losing to Australia national cricket team in 2021.
