New Zealand Captain Mitchell Santner Proud Despite T20 World Cup Loss to India

Ahmedabad, March 9: New Zealand faced a significant defeat against India, losing the T20 World Cup 2026 final by 96 runs. This loss meant that the Kiwi team missed their chance to win the T20 World Cup title for the first time. Despite the setback, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner expressed pride in his team’s performance.

In the final match held at the Narendra Modi Stadium, India batted first, scoring 255 runs while losing five wickets. In response, the New Zealand team was bowled out for just 159 runs in 19 overs.

After the loss, Santner stated, “I am proud of my players for reaching this stage. We faced numerous challenges throughout the tournament, but we overcame them and performed well. 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 the New Zealand team received in India, Santner said, “We usually see amazing crowds wherever we play. Today, the stadium was a sea of blue. Clearly, we were not the home favorites, but India deserves credit for winning the title on their home ground. Winning here always comes with a lot of pressure. I think Suryakumar Yadav and his team should be very proud of their performance.”

When asked what went well for his team during the tournament, Santner replied, “I believe different players stepped up at various times. We faced challenges at every stage, but it was good to overcome them. We performed well in the Super-8 and semifinals. However, today we were beaten by a better team, but the players should still take pride in their performance.”

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Ganpat Singh Chouhan: My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.