Mitchell Santner has never been one for grand speeches, yet on the eve of Sunday’s T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad he allowed himself a mischievous grin. “I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once.” The line came with typical Kiwi dryness, but the intent was crystal clear: five finals without a title is quite enough.
New Zealand’s record in ICC men’s events – runners-up in 2015, 2019 and 2023 in the one-day format, and beaten finalists in the 2021 and 2024 T20 editions – is both a badge of consistency and a constant reminder of what still eludes them. Asked if those near-misses should be celebrated, Santner shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind winning a trophy,” he replied, gently needling the idea that bridesmaid status can ever truly satisfy. The trick, he says, is to avoid fuss. “We try not to get over-awed by the situation or opponents. We just go out there and do our thing as a unit.”
The unit faces arguably its toughest challenge yet. India, defending champions and favourites in front of what is expected to be a 100,000-strong home crowd, have upped their tempo since lifting the trophy in 2024. “India kind of go hard, obviously at the top, but all the way through,” Santner observed. His solution is straightforward in theory, fiendish in practice: “And I think the only way to slow any team down is wickets at the top. And then try to squeeze a few overs in the middle. I think it’s very hard, if guys get away, to slow them down without taking wickets.”
If early breakthroughs do not arrive, Santner accepts that damage-limitation becomes the watchword. “But if you’re not taking wickets, what’s the best method or way to not get hit for a boundary? It’s how you close overs out versus turning those into 15-20 [runs]. And at the end of the day, if it’s going to be flat, it might be, the other night [in the Mumbai semi-final], trying to restrict it to near 220 instead of 250, it might give you a good chance.”
Ahmedabad’s surface is unlikely to offer much spin, so the seamers – particularly Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson – will need to use any evening dew smartly. At the same time, temperatures nudging 36°C during preparation meant the pitch stayed under hessian for fear of cracking. That, according to former India coach Anil Kumble, makes length control critical. “You miss by six inches and the ball travels,” Kumble warned on television this week.
With the bat, Finn Allen and Tim Seifert have provided brisk starts all tournament. Santner knows that momentum must continue. “On the flip side with the bat, it’s the opposite,” he said. “It’s how do you put the guys under pressure for six overs and not lose the wickets along the way. It’s easy to say, don’t lose the wickets but also get runs, because that’s pretty tough to do.”
India’s depth is, of course, the great complicating factor. Even at No. 8 they have hitters capable of clearing the ropes, a point reiterated by former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis. “You think the job’s done and someone like Axar walks in. That’s the squeeze they apply,” he told the host broadcaster. Santner is well aware. “We know how deep India bat. They’re going to put us under pressure for the first over, to the seventh over, to the 12th over, all the way through,” he admitted.
New Zealand do have their own trump cards. Glenn Phillips’ versatility means they can float him anywhere from three to finish the innings, while Daryl Mitchell’s calmness under fire remains invaluable; that semi-final chase against South Africa was built on his late onslaught. Pace-on options for the death – Ferguson touching 150 kph and Adam Milne hitting hard lengths – add variety to a largely swing-based attack.
Crucially, Santner’s left-arm spin gives him direct control of the game. Though not a prodigious turner, he relies on drift and changes of pace. In Ahmedabad, where straight boundaries are longer, that subtlety could be handy. “Mitch doesn’t give you freebies,” Phillips said earlier in the week. “You feel like you have to manufacture something, and that’s when mistakes come.”
There remains the psychological hurdle of finals history, though the captain insists scars are minimal. “Most of our lads have played enough high-pressure cricket to know the drill,” he said. “If we focus on outcome, we’ll get tight. Process, process, process – I know it’s boring, but it works for us.”
Whether that method delivers the ultimate prize this time is another question. India have not lost a World Cup match at home in any format since 2023, and in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma they possess experience that cannot be taught. Yet New Zealand have made a habit of confounding odds. A repeat on Sunday would indeed break a few hearts inside Narendra Modi Stadium. Santner, clearly, is willing to live with that.
