New Zealand cricket captain Mitchell Santner declared on Saturday that his side “won’t mind breaking a few hearts” in the T20 World Cup final against defending champions and hosts India. Santner’s team will face India on Sunday in Ahmedabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where over 100,000 home fans are expected to pack the venue.
New Zealand reached the 2021 final, losing to Australia, and have never won a white-ball World Cup. Santner stated, “I wouldn’t mind winning a trophy,” adding, “It’s going to be obviously a challenge where everyone knows we’re probably not the favourites. But yeah, I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once.” His comments set the tone for an underdog narrative ahead of the high-stakes clash.
The New Zealand side has shown inconsistent form in the tournament: they hammered previously unbeaten South Africa by nine wickets in the semifinals after Finn Allen blasted the fastest-ever century at the event, but they also lost to South Africa and England earlier in the competition. They now face an Indian team on a roll with three consecutive wins. Santner remarked, “I guess that’s the goal, is to silence the crowd,” noting that T20 cricket can be fickle, as seen with South Africa’s unexpected stumble against them.
Top-ranked India are attempting to become the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cups and the first to lift the trophy on home soil, which would also make them the first three-time champions. Santner suggested that the immense expectations from a packed stadium and millions of TV viewers could add pressure on the hosts. New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips discussed tactics against India’s star seamer Jasprit Bumrah, acknowledging Bumrah’s class but emphasizing that “he’s human as well” and the team is prepared to capitalize on any mistakes.
Perennial underdogs New Zealand edged into the semifinals on net run rate but stepped up significantly when Finn Allen’s 33-ball century defenestrated favourites South Africa. Santner’s team will contend not only with a crowd of over 100,000 but also a billion Indian fans watching on TV, though Phillips downplayed concerns: “For us, we just go out there and enjoy it – we have a great time as a group, we do our best for our country, and a packed crowd is fantastic for cricket in general, whether they’re supporting us or India.”
Source: www.aljazeera.com