T20 World Cup final: Wouldn’t mind winning the trophy, says Mitchell Santner

Mitchell Santner expresses New Zealand's determination to win the T20 World Cup, acknowledging the challenge of facing India.

Australia has the legacy. India has the recency. And New Zealand has the consistency.

That is one way to sum up performances at ICC limited-overs World Cups in the last decade. Since 2015, Sunday (March 8, 2026) will mark the fifth time New Zealand’s men feature in the final of a global tournament — a testament to their sustained excellence across formats.

Yet captain Mitchell Santner knows that the team often dubbed the “nicest guys” in world cricket will have to break a billion hearts if they are to lift the Men’s T20 World Cup trophy on Sunday (March 8) night.

For Santner, the choice is straightforward. “I wouldn’t mind winning a trophy,” Santner said at a crowded media conference at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday (March 7, 2026), on the eve of the final. “You look at this group and the groups that have been in the past and we are pretty consistent in our thoughts. We try not to get ruled by the situation or the opponents. We just go out there and do our thing as a unit.

“It’s been no different this time. Everyone knows we are probably not the favourites, but we don’t mind that. If we do the little things well and put in a strong team performance, it can put us in a good position to hopefully lift the trophy. But yeah, I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to do that.”

India, meanwhile, have been nearly invincible in ICC tournaments of late. In their last 30 matches across global events, the hosts have lost only twice — the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia and the Super Eight clash against South Africa last month. Both defeats came at this very venue.