Mitchell Santner is optimistic that New Zealand will finally turn their luck around against India on their third attempt
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has expressed his optimism about repeating the team’s historic wins over India in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 final, set to take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The Blackcaps have previously clinched two ICC tournaments—the Champions Trophy in 2000 and the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021—by defeating India in both finals.
At a pre-match press conference on Saturday, Santner reflected on New Zealand’s strong finals record against India and hoped that fortune would favor them for a third time, although he admitted that the 2013 champions will present a tough challenge.
“Hopefully, this will be our third successful outing,” he said, adding, “but we know India will undoubtedly be a formidable opponent tomorrow.”
The left-arm spinner stressed that adapting to the playing conditions and pitch will be essential for his team to counter the challenge posed by the men in blue, who have played all their Champions Trophy 2025 games at this venue.
“We need to approach the match with an open mind about how the pitch will behave and adjust our plans accordingly,” Santner explained. “We’ll communicate what we believe constitutes a strong score—it might be 300, or it could be 250. There will be periods during the game when both sides feel the pressure, but if you can weather those spells, things might just get easier.”
In the tournament’s final group match, India secured a 44-run victory, largely thanks to Varun Chakravarthy’s impressive bowling figures of 5-42, which helped dismiss New Zealand’s opponents for 205 in their chase of 250.
Despite that setback, Santner remained confident that his team would learn from the experience and effectively counter the mystery spinner, noting that many players were facing him for the first time previously.
“We expect India to field a similar lineup, so we must be prepared and flexible for what’s coming,” he said. “He’s a world-class bowler, as we’ve seen here and in the IPL, with a bit of mystery in his style. I’m sure our players will take lessons from our last encounter. If the pitch behaves similarly, we’re in for a challenge not just from him but from all three of their spinners.”
