Mitchell Santner hopes New Zealand to be ‘third-time lucky’ against India

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner expressed his hope to replicate their monumental victories over India in the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 final, scheduled to be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The Blackcaps have won two ICC tournaments thus far – the Champions Trophy in 2000 and the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 – by defeating India in the final on both occasions.

Reflecting on New Zealand’s dominant record against India in the finals, Santner, while addressing the pre-match press conference here on Saturday, expressed hope to be third-time lucky but acknowledged that the 2013 champions will be a challenge.

“Hopefully we’re third time lucky,” Santner said.

“But no, I think we know India are going to be a challenge tomorrow,” he added.

The left-arm spinner also coined adaptability to the conditions and pitch would be the key for his side to overhaul the challenge posed by the men in blue, who played all of their Champions Trophy 2025 matches at the same venue.

“I think we have to kind of go in with an open mind of how the pitch will play, and then adjust accordingly,” Santner told reporters.

“Get those communications back to the groups, what you think a good score is. Yeah, I think we obviously, it could be a 300 wicket, we don’t know I guess yet, but it could also be a 250 kind of winning score.

“So, I think there will be periods throughout this game on both sides where you’re under pressure for a period of time. But if you can kind of withstand that and get through, it might get easier,” he added.

The two sides locked horns in the last group-stage match of the eight-team tournament, with India winning the contest by 44 runs, courtesy of Varun Chakravarthy’s heroics.

But Mitchell Santner remained confident that his team would learn from the setback and also tackle the mystery spinner, who returned brilliant bowling figures of 5-42 in the Group A match.

“We’ll learn from that,” said Santner.

“We know India are probably going to go in with the same team. So, I think we have to be ready and be adaptable for what’s coming.

“He’s obviously a world-class bowler we’ve seen it here and obviously in the IPL and that little bit of mystery.

“But it was the first time some of the guys have been facing him. I think they’ll learn from the other day. If the pitch plays a similar way, it’s going to be a challenge along with all three of their other spinners.”