New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, has passionately called upon the public back home to extend their unwavering support, even from thousands of miles away in Ahmedabad, as the team gears up for their T20 World Cup final clash against host nation India this Sunday, March 8.
The Black Caps are poised to compete in only their second T20 World Cup final, with a strong ambition to clinch their maiden 20-over championship title. Santner fully understands that the immense crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium will undoubtedly be rooting for India. Nevertheless, the astute all-rounder expressed confidence that the encouragement from their homeland will serve as a powerful motivator to bring the trophy back.
In a message shared on the Black Caps’ official Instagram account, Santner directly addressed his fellow New Zealanders, urging them to show their backing despite the game kicking off well past midnight in New Zealand time.
‘KIA ORA AOTEAROA,’ began Santner’s statement. ‘BLACKCAPS captain Mitch Santner here. Sorry to interrupt your Sunday. Now, I’m not really one for big speeches or rousing calls to action. But I truly wanted to remind you all about our ICC T20 World Cup Final against India in Ahmedabad on Monday morning (2.30am NZT).’
‘It’s fair to say we’re a bit outnumbered over here – with 1.4 billion Team India fans and all that. And I’m pretty sure most of the 130,000 seats at the Narendra Modi Stadium will be cheering for them too. But that’s perfectly fine – because we know back home you’ll have our backs,’ the skipper affirmed.
‘Although you won’t be physically present with us – we see the photos, the posts, we hear the stories, and we understand about the late nights and early starts you’ll make. We feel your aroha (love). We get it – the final is incredibly early Monday morning. But please, set your alarm and rally around us one more time. And if you happen to be a bit late for work or school, please convey my message to your boss or teachers. Cheers, Aotearoa – we’ll be home soon – hopefully with some extra luggage,’ Santner concluded.
India approaches the final with a unique opportunity to make history. Should they emerge victorious, they would become the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title, the first nation to win it three times, and also the inaugural team to claim the 20-over championship on home soil.
For New Zealand, however, this match offers a chance to secure an ICC honour in all three formats of the game, having previously lifted the ICC KnockOut Trophy in 2000 and the World Test Championship in 2021.
