As the Indian crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium prepares to welcome the Kiwis in the T20 World Cup final, New Zealand captain Mitchel Santner has downplayed the emotional atmosphere, saying he won’t be fazed by it. When asked about New Zealand’s history of qualifying for five ICC finals in the last 11 years but failing to win any, Santner responded with a hint of sarcasm, saying he won’t be bothered about winning the trophy, but the team that has the right mindset and performs like a unit will be the one to lift it.
“We know we might not be the favorites, but we’re not bothered about that,” Santner said. “We’re focused on doing the small things right and putting up a strong performance like a top team. As Australian captain Pat Cummins once said, the best feeling for any team is to silence the partisan crowd, and our goal is to do just that during the match.”
Santner acknowledged that the pressure on the Indian team to win the World Cup at home is immense, making it a challenging match. “Things can change quickly in T20 cricket, and we often see crucial moments emerging,” he said. “The Indian team has a lot of pressure on them to win at home, and it’s going to be a tough encounter.”
In a separate development, New Zealand’s Suryakumar Yadav has set a new record by hitting three sixes off the 14th over bowled by Ravindra Jadeja, giving India its second record of the tournament. Both teams are currently in Kolkata, where they were supposed to depart on Sunday afternoon but were told about a new plan.
The T20 World Cup final will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where New Zealand won the toss and invited India to bat first. Sources say that the official schedule for the Pakistan Super League 11 will be announced next week.
In other news, Australian women’s captain Ellyse Perry’s international career came to an end after a Test victory over India, while Aussie pacer Brittany Randle took 5 wickets in just 5 balls to set a new record. The ICC meeting has been postponed due to the ongoing tensions in the region, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been criticized for not doing enough to help South African players return home after the T20 World Cup.
In Pakistan, the Lahore region Whites have beaten the Peshawar region in the first match of the National T20 Cup. In a separate development, the UAE is considering delaying the white-ball series due to ongoing tensions in the region.
