India captain Suryakumar Yadav was in a jovial mood during the official pre-match press conference ahead of the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The pressure will truly be on the Men in Blue, considering the stakes involved and the hosts’ chance to create history if they come up with another victory. The odds will be stacked against New Zealand, and hence it was not surprising to see skipper Mitchell Santner take a cue from Australia’s Pat Cummins, saying his aim would be to silence the crowd of more than 1 lakh at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Right before Suryakumar’s interaction with the media, Santner, the Kiwi all-rounder, said that he wouldn’t mind channelling some “bad guy” energy and keeping the Ahmedabad crowd quiet for the majority of the contest. It is worth noting that this silent remark was made famous by Cummins ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup final against India at the same venue, and his team walked the talk by winning the summit clash.
When Suryakumar was asked about Santner’s remark, the 35-year-old kept it cool, saying it is now becoming a trend for opposition teams to keep saying the same thing, and it’s only a matter of time before they come up with something new and original.
“Sab he same line chipka rahe hai. Kuch to naya bolo (Everyone is now saying the same thing. Come up with something new),” Suryakumar told reporters on Saturday.
“The mood in the camp is very relaxed. Leading such a wonderful side on home soil. It’s a special feeling, and everyone is excited for the T20 World Cup final,” he added.
The Indian captain, who is the second-highest run-scorer for India in the T20 World Cup 2026, admitted that there would be pressure on him in the summit clash, but he would try to enjoy the big stage and make the most of the situation.
“As a leader, there would be pressure; I cannot deny that. Definitely, there would be added pressure, the excitement is there of playing a World Cup final that too in India,” said Suryakumar.
New Zealand playing good cricket
Before the World Cup, India played a five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which the hosts won 4-1. Both sides are well aware of the strengths and weaknesses; however, Suryakumar admitted that he hasn’t seen the Black Caps’ T20 World Cup games on television. He said that New Zealand are a very good team, but his side are well equipped to deal with everything.
The upcoming match between India and New Zealand will be the second consecutive white-ball final between the two teams, following the Champions Trophy 2025 summit clash last year.
“I haven’t watched their T20 World Cup matches on television. We played them recently; the team is similar to the one we faced in the bilateral series. They have been playing some good cricket. We are also playing good cricket so that it will be a good match,” said the right-handed batter.
