New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner explained that their team will focus on taking early wickets, and if they are unable to do so, then they will try not to concede boundaries against India in the T20 World Cup 2026 final, which will take place at iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
New Zealand's plan against India
This is the second consecutive time that India and New Zealand are facing each other in the title decider of the ICC event. Earlier, the duo faced each other in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, where the Men in Blue defeated them to win the title. Santner admitted that India has a deep batting and they will focus to restrict them.
"India go hard from the top till through. If you don't take wickets, the best plan is to how not to concede boundaries. The other plan is to restrict the team. We know how deep India bats. We need to be clear with what we have to do" said Mitchell Santner ahead of T20 World Cup final.
"Mindset is same. Easy to say it is another game but it is not like that. It always comes down to a couple of moments. If you approach the game with consistency and ruthlessness, you need not reinvent the game" he added.
Mitchell Santner backed Varun Chakravarthy
Santner further backed Varun Chakravarthy who conceded 64 runs in India's semifinal clash against England. The New Zealand skipper believes that Varun is just one game away from regaining his form.
"I don't think so. We have seen how good Varun is. When it is not seaming and spinning, it is a challenge. Varun is a very good bowler. He is one game away from coming back to form. You need to back on past experience," added Santner.
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Ahmedabad pitch for T20 World Cup final
Sports Tak understands that the match will be played on the centre wicket. The same pitch was used earlier during the T20 World Cup clash between Canada and South Africa. In that match, South Africa scored 213/4 and won comfortably by 57 runs.
The pitch will offer very little help for spinners, but it should provide good pace and bounce for fast bowlers. It is expected to behave somewhat like the pitch at Wankhede Stadium, where India defeated England to seal their berth for the final.
The wicket is also said to be fresh and made from a mix of red and black soil. This is quite different from the pitch used during the 2023 ODI World Cup final at the same venue.