Kiwis ready to break hearts and silence crowd in WC final: Santner

New Zealand would not mind being the underdogs and breaking hearts in Sunday’s Twenty20 World Cup ‌final against hosts India, captain Mitchell Santner said ahead of the contest in front of a partisan ​Ahmedabad crowd.

New Zealand reached the final after sweeping past South Africa in a ruthless nine-wicket win ‌and are chasing their first ‌global T20 crown after falling short in previous campaigns.

“We are pretty consistent because we try not get overawed by the situation or opponents. We just go out there and do our thing,” Santner told reporters on Saturday.

“It’s going ‌to be an opposite challenge where everyone knows we’re probably not the favourites. But we don’t mind. We know we can do little things well and put in a strong team performance.

“It would put us in a pretty good position to hopefully lift the trophy. I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy.”

Santner said the pressure would lean heavily on the hosts, who are bidding to defend the title in front of more than 100,000 spectators expected at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

He did not shy away from ​the prospect of silencing a packed house, drawing an echo of Pat Cummins-led Australia’s triumph at ‌the same venue in the 2023 one-day World Cup final.

“The goal is to silence the crowd. There are a lot of variables in T20 cricket and it is fickle at times,” the 34-year-old said.

“If we go out about our business the same way we can upset another big team. There’s obviously a lot of pressure on in there (on India) to win this World Cup at home.”

India are coming off the back of a stunning seven-run win ​over England in ‌the semi-final and Santner emphasised the need for early breakthroughs to blunt their top order.

“The only way ‌to slow any team down is wickets at the top and then try to squeeze a few overs in the middle... if you’re not taking wickets, you have to find a way to stop boundaries,” he said.

He also praised ‌the depth of ‌New Zealand’s squad, highlighting Cole McConchie’s smooth transition after replacing the injured Michael Bracewell.

McConchie has scored 45 runs and taken two wickets in four ‌matches.

“Cole coming straight in, was obviously a challenge. I think when you have the buy-in of the group, it’s not just the 11 out there, it’s the 15 in the squad... We’re all in this journey together,” Santner said.

Despite the size of the occasion, Santner urged ​his side to treat it like any other day at the office.

“It’s easy to say it’s just another game - everyone knows it’s probably not - but the way you go about it has to be the same,” he added.

New Zealand will be ready to pounce if India’s bowling star Jasprit Bumrah falters in the T20 World Cup final said all-rounder Glenn Phillips on Friday.

Meanwhile, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said on Saturday there would be “butterflies in the stomach” when he walks out for the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand, with expectations sky-high for the hosts.

The blockbuster final in Ahmedabad on Sunday is expected to attract over 100,000 fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium and hundreds of millions more watching on TV.

Defending champions India are targeting a record third title and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back trophies. No country has previously won the T20 World Cup on home soil.

Suryakumar played a key part when Rohit Sharma’s India lifted the World Cup in Barbados in 2024, taking over the captaincy later that year after Rohit retired from international T20s.

“Leading such a wonderful side into a final that (is also on) home soil, it’s always a special feeling,” Suryakumar told reporters at a packed news conference.

“Of course there are nerves, there will be butterflies in the stomach but as I always say, ‘if there is no pressure, there is no fun’. All the boys and the support staff and I am sure the whole of India is excited for tomorrow.”

Top-ranked India have been the team to beat in the tournament and lost just one game en route to the final, when South Africa ended their 12-match unbeaten streak in the Super Eights stage.

India have since won three straight matches, holding off England in a tense semi-final as the bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, held their nerve to win by seven runs in a high-scoring thriller.

Agencies