T20 World Cup 2026: Mitchell Santner reveals what to expect from Ahmedabad pitch ahead of Final clash against India
Mitchell Santner reflected on Ahmedabad's pictch ahead of T20 World Cup 2026 final against the Men in Blue at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Mitchell Santner reveals what to expect from Ahmedabad pitch )(Source: X)
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner opened up about his expectations from the Ahmedabad pitch ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 final against India. The venue had attracted plenty of discussion the last time India played an ICC final there, with much debate surrounding the surface used for the match.
Speaking at the pre-match press-conference, Santner said New Zealand are excited about the final and acknowledged that India will face immense pressure while defending their T20 World Cup title in front of a packed crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The Kiwi captain also echoed Pat Cummins famous remark from 2023, stating that his team would look to silence the home crowd during the final.
"That's the goal to silence the crowd, but there are a lot of challenges to cricket, and they are variable. I think there is a lot of pressure on India to win at home," Santner said during the pre-match press conference.
Santner revealed pitch might favour high-scoring game
When asked about Ahmedabad's condition, Santner said that although the pitch had remained under covers, there are still strong expectations that it will offer good batting conditions for the final.
"Yeah, I mean I haven't had a look at the wicket yet, it's still under cover, but one can only assume it's going to be pretty flat and high scoring," Santner said.
Santner also showered praise on India's pace spearhead, Jasprit Bumrah, who delivered a decisive spell in the semi-final against England to guide India into the final.
"In terms of Bumrah I think it should be in everyone's conversation, the way he's been going," Santner remarked at the press conference on Saturday. "I think England looked pretty hard to hit, and he was obviously the game changer for India the other night."
Santner also praised India's collective strength
However, Santner was quick to stress that India's strength does not rely on just one player. He highlighted the team's all-round contribution, noting that different players have stepped up at key moments throughout the tournament, making India a formidable unit.
"We knew that was going to be the case, he's obviously a world-class bowler, but not just him," Santner added. "I think the way everyone's been rolling in their team, whether it's with bat or ball, everyone's stepped up at different times and as a team that's where you want to be."
New Zealand head into the final aiming to end their long-standing World Cup curse, having reached multiple finals over the past decade without winning a trophy in either the 20-over or 50-over formats.
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