Kiwi captain’s big statement before the final, ‘Even if you have to break the hearts of Indians…’

The final match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be played between India and New Zealand on March 8. Before this title match to be held at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has given a big statement. He clearly said that if he has to disappoint some Indian fans to win the trophy, his team will not back down from it.

What did Santner say in the press conference?

In the press conference held before the final, Santner said that even though his team is not considered the favorite in this match, the New Zealand players have full confidence in their ability. According to him, in T20 cricket, sometimes small mistakes or right decisions decide the course of the match. If his team is successful in handling these important moments properly then it is possible to win the trophy. He said that New Zealand’s focus will be on doing the basic things better during the match.

This statement of Santner is somewhat reminiscent of the statement of Australian captain Pat Cummins which he gave before the 2023 ODI World Cup final. Cummins had then said that he wanted to pacify the large number of Indian spectators present at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Later Australia won the title by defeating India in that final. In such a situation, Santner’s statement is also being viewed with the same kind of confidence.

The Kiwi captain believes that there will be more pressure on India in the final match, because the Indian team will try to win the title on its home ground. He said that mental pressure often plays an important role in the finals of big tournaments and the team which handles it better has greater chances of winning.

Great performance by New Zealand

The New Zealand team performed brilliantly in the semi-finals and made it to the finals by defeating South Africa. The special thing was that the South African team was undefeated in the entire tournament, but the Kiwi team defeated them in a tough match. With this victory, the confidence of New Zealand players has increased a lot.

Praising the Indian team, Santner said that Indian batsmen are in great form at the moment. However, he also mentioned that the Indian bowlers had to work hard to defend a score of more than 250 against England in the semi-finals. According to him, both the teams will enter the final with their respective strengths and the team which performs better for a longer period will be successful in lifting the trophy in the end.