IND vs NZ final: Mitchell Santner disappointed after loss to India, blames these factor

IND vs NZ Final Highlights: New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner expressed his disappointment following their loss to India in the final of the Champions Trophy 2025, highlighting the challenges posed by the changing venues. He stated, “We faced different challenges. We played on different wickets throughout the tournament.”

IND vs NZ Final Highlights: India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 title with a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the final.

Winning the toss and electing to bat first, New Zealand managed 251/7 in their allotted 50 overs. In response, India chased down the target with an over to spare, powered by a magnificent half-century from Rohit Sharma. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner appeared visibly disappointed after the loss. He commented on the various challenges faced by his team, highlighting the diverse venues throughout the tournament.

Santner on the Four World-Class Bowlers

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner stated that it had been a good tournament. He acknowledged the numerous challenges faced but highlighted the team’s strong performance and good cricket. He conceded defeat to a superior team, praising his players’ individual contributions at different stages of the tournament. He added that this is what one expects from a captain and a team. (On the slow-down during the middle overs) It was good bowling. We lost a few wickets after the powerplay. They really put the pressure on. Credit to their spinners, the way they bowled, all four are world-class bowlers.

‘We Were Probably 20 or 25 Runs Short’

He further commented that they were probably 20 or 25 runs short, but they knew they had a defendable total. They fought hard and did what they could. The powerplay was the best time to bat, Rohit and Gill performed well. Rohit’s innings was outstanding, almost a run a ball on that wicket, and it put us on the back foot, but we knew the game could change quickly, and we took wickets and stayed in the game.

Praise for Rachin Ravindra

Santner praised Rachin Ravindra, stating that they’ve seen how he steps up in major events, which is what you expect. He understands his game at such a young age, and there’s no doubt his future is bright. Even today, the way he put pressure on India for a while was very pleasing.

Venue Concerns

He further added that different players stepping up at different times made his job a little easier. However, he couldn’t thank them enough for their work throughout the tournament. Santner also expressed his concerns regarding the differing venues, contrasting India’s consistent home ground advantage with New Zealand’s varied playing conditions. He stated that they faced different challenges, playing on different wickets throughout the tournament, but adapted as quickly as possible to each venue.