AHMEDABAD, March 7: New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner says he would not mind “breaking a few hearts” if it means finally ending his side’s long wait for a white-ball world title when they take on defending champions India in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here on Sunday.
New Zealand head into the summit clash hoping to shed the tag of being the “good guys who finish second”. Over the last 11 years, the Black Caps have reached the final of four ICC white-ball world events but have finished runners-up each time – in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
“I wouldn’t mind winning a trophy,” Santner said in the press conference on Saturday.
“We are pretty consistent in these tournaments because we try and not get overawed by the situation or opponents. We just go out there and do our thing. It’s been no different this time.
“Everyone knows we are not the favourites, but we don’t mind. We know if we do the small things well and put in a strong team performance, then we will be in a pretty good position. I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once,” he added.
The title clash will be staged at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the world’s largest cricket venue, where more than 90,000 spectators are expected to be in attendance.
India and New Zealand have taken contrasting routes to the final but both arrive with momentum after impressive batting performances in the semifinals. New Zealand suffered defeats to South Africa in the group stage and England in the Super Eights but produced a commanding display in the knockout stage. After restricting the Proteas to 169 for 8 in the semifinal, the Black Caps chased down the target in just 12.5 overs, powered by Finn Allen’s explosive 33-ball century, the fastest hundred in T20 World Cup history.
India, meanwhile, were flawless in the group stage, with their only setback coming against South Africa in the opening Super Eight match. In the semifinal, they prevailed in a high-scoring thriller against England, posting 253 for 7 before restricting their opponents to a total just seven runs short.
“Momentum’s a massive part. We are taking a lot of confidence from the last game. India will do the same,” said Santner.
“England were very close to chasing it down the other night, South Africa playing very good cricket throughout and had a little hiccup against us. For us, it’s taking confidence from that. If we go about our business in the same way, we can upset another big team. (For India) There is obviously a lot of pressure to win a World Cup at home.”
India enter the final chasing several milestones – becoming the first team to successfully defend a Men’s T20 World Cup title, the first host nation to win the tournament and the first side to claim three T20 World Cup crowns.
For New Zealand, containing India’s powerful batting line-up and tackling the threat posed by Jasprit Bumrah will be key.
“He (Bumrah) should be in everyone’s conversation,” Santner said. “He was the game changer for India the other night. But not just him, the way everyone is going with bat and all, everyone has stepped up at some time.
“The way to slow any team down is to take wickets and try and squeeze a few overs in the middle. If the wicket is flat, like it was the other night (against England in Mumbai), then it might be to restrict India to 220 instead of 250, that might give you a good chance. We know how deep India bat, they are going to put us under pressure from the first over, to the seventh over, to the 12th over, all the way through.”
India’s semifinal against England also raised a few questions about the form of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who conceded 64 runs in his spell. However, Santner believes the bowler remains a potent threat. But Santner does not think it is an enduring problem for India and the bowler was only, “one game away from turning the tide.”
While the occasion will inevitably bring intense attention, Santner insisted his team must remain focused on their own processes if they are to finally end their long wait for a white-ball world title.
“The mindset’s the same,” he said. “It’s easy to say it’s just another game, but everyone knows it’s probably not. But the way to go about it has to be the same, the preparation has to be the same. It always comes down to a couple of moments, especially in T20 cricket.”
History in T20 World Cups may favour New Zealand with the Black Caps having beaten India in all three of their meetings in the tournament in 2007, 2016 and 2021. But with India in strong form and the stakes higher than ever, the question now is whether Santner’s men can finally turn consistency into silverware or will they once again be left wondering how close they came
(UNI)
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