New Zealand’s cricket team is facing a persistent challenge in major ICC white-ball tournaments. Despite consistently reaching the finals, they haven’t secured a title since 2000. Their captain, Mitchell Santner, acknowledges this pattern after their recent final loss to India.
He expressed pride in the team’s resilience and fighting spirit, especially in fielding, but admitted the repeated losses are frustrating.
Santner highlighted the high level of competition in finals, where they face other top teams. He noted key factors in the recent loss, such as their middle-overs batting struggles and the absence of key bowler Matt Henry due to injury. Henry’s ability to take early wickets against India was particularly missed.
Santner also praised Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s aggressive and match-winning innings, which put New Zealand on the back foot early in the chase. Despite a brief period where New Zealand’s spinners created pressure and took wickets, India ultimately secured the victory.
Overall, Santner reflected on the bittersweet feeling of reaching another final but falling short again. He recognized the need to convert these opportunities into wins and acknowledged the difficulty of playing against strong teams like India in crucial matches.
