Ahmedabad, March 9: New Zealand faced a significant defeat against India in the final of the T20 World Cup 2026, losing by 96 runs. This loss meant that the Kiwi team missed their chance to clinch the T20 World Cup title for the first time. Despite the setback, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner expressed pride in his team’s performance throughout the tournament.
In the final match held at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India batted first, scoring 255 runs for the loss of five wickets. In response, the New Zealand team was bowled out for just 159 runs in 19 overs.
After the match, Santner stated, “I am proud of my players for reaching this stage. We faced many challenges throughout the tournament, but we overcame them and performed well at every stage. However, tonight we lost to a very good team in front of a fantastic crowd. Still, I am proud of the team.”
Commenting on the support received by the New Zealand team in India, Santner remarked, “We usually see great crowds wherever we play. Today, the stadium was a sea of blue. Clearly, we were not the home favorites, but credit should go to India for winning the title on home soil. Winning here always comes with a lot of pressure. I believe Suryakumar Yadav and his team should be very proud of their performance.”
When asked about the positives for his team during the tournament, Santner noted, “I think different players took responsibility at various times. We faced challenges at every stage, but it was good to overcome them. We performed well in the Super-8 and semi-finals. However, today we were beaten by a better team, but the players should still take pride in their performance.”