I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once: Mitchell Santner

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has revealed he would love to silence the 1,30,000-crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad by lifting the trophy after defeating Team India on Sunday, March 8.

Advertisment

Notably, these comments were earlier made by the Australian counterpart Pat Cummins, who wanted to silence the stadium in Ahmedabad back on November 19, 2023, to claim the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 title.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the game against India, Santner asserted that he wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy on the much-awaited night in Ahmedabad.

“We just go out there and do our thing 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. But yeah, I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once,” Santner said in the pre-match press conference on Saturday.

“It’s easy to say it’s just another game, but everyone knows it’s probably not. The way you go about it has to be the same, whether it’s your preparation, what that looks like on the day, leading up to the game,” he added.

Furthermore, Santner has heaped praise on Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy, who played a crucial role in India’s journey in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. Though Varun failed to create an impact in the last four games, he is still India’s leading wicket-taker in the showpiece event.

“Bumrah, yeah, I think he should be in everyone’s conversation, the way he has been going. Against England, he looked pretty hard to hit. And he was obviously the game changer for India the other night,” Santner said.

Advertisment

“We knew that was (Bumrah performing) always going to be the case. He’s obviously a world-class bowler. But, you know, not just him, everyone has stepped up at different times. And as a team, that’s where you want to be,” he stated.

“We have all seen how good he (Varun) is. And I think the challenge for any bowler is when pitch is flat compared to how it looks like when it’s spinning or seaming. But when it is flat, I think, everyone can go for 60 on such a day. I think he’s got to know that he is still a very good bowler. You should know that you are only one game away from changing the tide,” he concluded.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky247 India and download the Sky247 app to start betting today!