New Zealand punch above their weight every time in ICC events, be it the ODI or T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy, or even the World Test Championship. They won the inaugural WTC edition out of nowhere, beating India in the final, and time and again, have consistently qualified at least for the semis of an ODI and a T20 World Cup. They were the runners-up of the ICC Champions Trophy as well last year. The ongoing edition is another example of the way they've surprised many with their performance and have made it to the summit clash.
Pakistan not winning their match against Sri Lanka by 65 runs helped the Kiwis make it to the knockouts, where they knocked the favourites South Africa out of the T20 World Cup. Now, they await hosts and defending champions India in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad but they aren't the favourites again. For obvious reasons, India are expected to win the final but then Santner doesn't mind not being the favourites.
He is confident that if the players perform their designated roles well in the final on Sunday, they can certainly break a few hearts and lift the trophy.
"It's going to be obviously a challenge where everyone knows we're probably not the favourites. But we don't mind. We know we can - if we do our little things well and put in a strong team performance - put us in a pretty good position to hopefully lift the trophy. But yeah, I wouldn't mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once," Santner said in the pre-match press conference.
New Zealand haven't lost to India in T20 World Cup
As far as the numbers are concerned, one stat that is in New Zealand's favour is that they have never lost to India in the T20 World Cup history. The two teams have locked horns three times in the competition and on all three occasions, the Kiwis emerged victorious. In fact, the last time they faced, the BlackCaps almost knocked India out of the World Cup in 2021.
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