Mitchell Santner, captain of the New Zealand men’s cricket team, sent out a warning to Team India after securing a spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final on Wednesday, March 5. New Zealand beat South Africa by 50 runs in the second semifinal of the ongoing ICC event in Lahore and will now face India for the title on Sunday, March 9, in Dubai.
Having reached the ICC Champions Trophy final for the fourth time in nine editions, Santner pointed out how the Kiwis had managed to get the better of the Indian team in the past and that his boys would look to do it again in Dubai on Sunday.
“It’s a cool feeling to be in the final. We were challenged by a good side. We have gone up against India in the past, and we look forward to doing it again,” was Santner’s comment during the post-match presentation in Lahore on Wednesday.
According to Santner, who will share the dressing room with India captain Rohit Sharma in IPL 2025 for Mumbai Indians, although they lost against the Men in Blue in the Group A match on March 4 by 44 runs, they could apply some pressure on the Indians, and that has given the team confidence going into the final.
“Being there in Dubai and putting India under pressure gave us confidence. You take in what things work and what doesn’t. I think the bowlers bowled well to chip wickets at the top. I think winning the toss will be nice as well,” Santner said when asked to assess his team’s performance vis-a-vis their defeat to the Men in Blue in the Group A match.
The star spin bowling all-rounder was also asked about fast bowler Matt Henry’s fitness update after he suffered an injury while fielding against South Africa.
In response, Santner stated, “We’ll just have to wait and see about his shoulder.” “His shoulder’s a bit sore; we’ll have to wait for a couple of days and see.”
Henry is a vital name in the New Zealand Champions Trophy 2025 squad. In the four matches he has played, he has taken 10 wickets, which included 5 for 42 in eight overs against India.
