Mitchell Santner Aims To Silence Ahmedabad Crowd; Reacts To Pitch Ahead Of Final

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner says his team aims to silence the Ahmedabad crowd and is ready to play the villain as they face India in the T20 World Cup 2026 final.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has set the tone ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final, stating that his team hopes to silence the massive crowd when they take on India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Santner’s remark has drawn comparisons with a similar statement made by Australian captain Pat Cummins before the 2023 ODI World Cup final at the same venue, where Australia went on to defeat India. The New Zealand skipper, however, insisted that his team remains focused on executing their plans and winning key moments in the game.

Santner Confident Of Handling Pressure In Front Of Huge Crowd

Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Santner acknowledged the challenge of playing in front of a large home crowd but said New Zealand are ready to handle the pressure and aim to quieten the supporters if they perform well.

“That’s the goal, to silence the crowd. There are a lot of variables in T20 cricket, and it can be fickle at times, as we’ve seen throughout the World Cup. A lot of teams are on the same page, and it comes down to a few little moments in every game that change the outcome. We can upset another big team, and I think there’s obviously a lot of pressure on India to win this World Cup at home,” Santner said.

He also spoke about the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, suggesting that even small moments in a match can change the result, making it crucial for teams to stay composed in pressure situations.

New Zealand Ready To Play The ‘Villain’ If Needed

Santner admitted that his team would not mind playing the role of the villain if it meant lifting the trophy. The captain said the squad has remained consistent in its approach and is not overly concerned about being labelled underdogs in the final.

“I wouldn’t mind winning a trophy. You look at this group and the groups that have been in the past, we are pretty consistent on these because we try not to get overawed by the situation or opponents. We go out there and do our thing. And as a unit, it’s been no different this time. And again, it’s going to be obviously a challenge where everyone knows we’re probably not the favourites. But we don’t mind,” Santner said.

“We know we can, if we do our little things well and put in a strong team performance, put us in a pretty good position to hopefully lift the trophy. I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once,” he added.

Santner Praises Bumrah But Warns India Have Multiple Match-Winners

Discussing the pitch conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Santner said he expects a batting-friendly surface despite not yet inspecting the wicket.

“Yeah, I mean I haven’t had a look at the wicket yet, it’s still under cover, but one can only assume it’s going to be pretty flat and high scoring,” Santner said.

The New Zealand captain also highlighted the threat posed by India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, whose performances throughout the tournament have been exceptional.

“In terms of Bumrah I think it should be in everyone’s conversation, the way he’s been going,” Santner remarked at the press conference on Saturday. “I think England looked pretty hard to hit, and he was obviously the game changer for India the other night.”

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However, Santner stressed that India’s strength lies in their collective effort rather than just one individual performer.

“We knew that was going to be the case, he’s obviously a world-class bowler, but not just him,” Santner added. “I think the way everyone’s been rolling in their team, whether it’s with bat or ball, everyone’s stepped up at different times and as a team that’s where you want to be,” Santner concluded.