Santner Embraces Villain Role Ahead of T20 World Cup Final Showdown
Ahmedabad: New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has declared he has no qualms about playing the villain on Sunday night if it means ending his nation's long wait for a major white-ball trophy. Speaking ahead of the T20 World Cup final against India at the packed Narendra Modi Stadium, Santner stated he wouldn't mind "breaking a few hearts" to finally lift silverware for the Black Caps.
New Zealand's Trophy Drought and Underdog Status
"I wouldn't mind winning a trophy," Santner said during his pre-match press conference on Saturday. "You look at this group and the groups in the past — we've always tried not to get overawed by the situation or the opposition. We just go out there and do our thing. I wouldn't mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once."
This final represents another opportunity for New Zealand to break their ICC tournament curse. Since 2011, the Black Caps have reached five white-ball finals — including three since 2019 — but have fallen short on each occasion. With India playing at home before an expected crowd exceeding 130,000 passionate supporters, Santner readily acknowledged his team would start as significant underdogs.
"We know we're probably not the favourites but we don't mind that," the captain admitted. "If we do the little things well and put in a strong team performance, we'll give ourselves a chance."
Silencing the Crowd and Handling Pressure
Santner echoed sentiments famously expressed by Australian captain Pat Cummins during the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad, emphasizing that silencing a partisan home crowd represents the ultimate achievement for a visiting team.
"That's the goal, to silence the crowd," Santner stated. "T20 cricket can be fickle and it often comes down to a few key moments." He added that the pressure would predominantly rest on the host nation's shoulders. "There's obviously a lot of pressure on India to win a World Cup at home. If we can go out there and put pressure on them and see what happens, that's the challenge."
Geopolitical Tensions Affect Tournament Participants
Meanwhile, Santner revealed that the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran — which has disrupted air travel across West Asia — has been difficult for players to ignore during the tournament.
"It's hard to avoid because it's everywhere and it's a pretty tough situation," he said. "People at the World Cup have been affected as well. Guys not being able to go home, you can imagine how tough that is."
The New Zealand captain emphasized the need for focus despite these external challenges. "For us it's about focusing on what tomorrow looks like against a very, very good Indian team. It's not easy to put those things out of your mind but we have to."
As the cricketing world prepares for Sunday's final, Santner's comments highlight New Zealand's determination to overcome both their historical finals disappointments and the formidable challenge of facing India in their own backyard.
