New Delhi: New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner issued a rallying cry for the supporters back home ahead of the T20 World Cup final against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The Kiwis are heading into the blockbuster clash aiming to win their maiden T20 World Cup trophy. This is their fifth ICC white-ball final since 2015, and they have failed to win a single one. The crowd inside the Narendra Modi stadium is expected to be one-sided.
‘It’s fair to say we’re a bit outnumbered over here – 1.4 billion team India fans and all that’
Mitchell Santner decided to send a message to the home fans on Sunday. He took to the social media platform X and said that he doesn’t give speeches or rallying cries, reminding the fans about their T20 World Cup final against India.
“It’s fair to say we’re a bit outnumbered over here – 1.4 billion team India fans and all that. And I’m pretty sure most of the 130,000 seat Narendra Modi Stadium will be cheering for them too. But that’s all good – because we know back home you’ll have our backs,” said Santner.
The final will begin at 2:30 AM on Monday in New Zealand. The skipper said to the home fans that set your alarm and support them for one more time.
“We feel your aroha. We get it – the final is super early Monday morning. But set your alarm and get around us one more time. And if you’re bit late to work or school, please pass on my message to your boss or teachers. Cheers Aotearoa – we’ll be home soon – hopefully with some extra luggage,” he added.
A message to Aotearoa from captain Mitchell Santner ✉️ pic.twitter.com/znAGHC4bNd
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 7, 2026
Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Santner said that their goal is to silence the crowd, but there are a lot of variables in T20 cricket. The New Zealand captain further added that it comes down to some small moments in every match that will change the result.
New Zealand have a 3-0 lead over India in the T20 World Cup matches and will be full of confidence after their performance against South Africa in the semifinal.