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New Zealand’s T20I captain Mitchell Santner has high hopes from an in-form Daryl Mitchell for the five-T20I series against India, leading up to T20 World Cup 2026. Santner lauded Mitchell for overcoming his struggles against spin and expects something similar when he takes the field in Nagpur.
"Daryl struggled against spin initially. But he worked incredibly hard and you can see the fruits of labour," Santner told the reporters on the eve of the series opener.
"He's playing spin well. He can control the game in middle overs during ODIs. Hope he does something similar in T20Is," the left-arm spinner said about the 34-year-old batting all-rounder.
Santner said that he loves playing in India which will also co-host the T20 World Cup 2026.
"We love playing here. For us, it's about facing a great team in conditions which will be familiar during T20 World Cup," he said.
Daryl Mitchell’s T20I record vs India
So far, Mitchell does not have the best of T20I numbers against India. From 14 innings, he has 241 runs at an average of 20.08 and strike rate of 133.88. His only T20I fifty against India came in January 2023 in Ranchi.
New Zealand’s T20 World Cup 2026 venues
New Zealand have been placed in Group D for T20 World Cup 2026. The Group D includes Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Canada. Three of their four group stage matches will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, a spin-friendly venue Santner is familiar with from his CSK days. Similarly, Mitchell has played a season at CSK.
India vs New Zealand T20I head-to-head
India and New Zealand have played 25 T20Is against each other. India have won 14, lost 10 whereas one ended in a tie. The last time New Zealand won a T20I series on Indian soil in 2012. The Ross Taylor-led side won the T20I series 1-0 as the series opener was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
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