T20 World Cup: New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner praised his side’s composure and adaptability after the BlackCaps opened their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a five-wicket win over Afghanistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday, chasing down a competitive 183 with 15 balls to spare.
Acknowledging the challenge posed by Afghanistan, Santner underlined the importance of starting the tournament strongly. “It was a good day. We knew coming in that Afghanistan are a threat and they showed that today. We knew it was a massive game for us today. Started the tournament off in the right spot. It was a pretty good performance. Pretty good wicket, but Afghanistan challenged us a lot throughout this game and as we thought they would,” he told broadcasters after the match.
Santner pointed to the need for a quick assessment of conditions, especially with varying start times and venues expected through the competition. “That's (assessing conditions) a massive part. It was a little bit sticky to start, I guess with the 11 o'clock start, and we're playing at 3 PM, 7 PM different grounds... that's going to be a massive thing for us and probably any team throughout the competition, to get a read on surface and conditions and assess what is the most effective ball,” he added.
New Zealand’s chase had early hiccups as Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck twice in the powerplay to leave them 14/2, but Santner admitted such moments are part of the modern T20 contest. Asked if there was any pressure after the early wickets, Santer chuckled and said, “Yeah. The powerplay is such an important part of this game, whether it's with the ball or bat. And Mujeeb's tricks in the powerplay, it's always going to be a challenge. And he bowled extremely well then.”
He also credited the batting depth and partnerships that followed, allowing New Zealand to regain control despite the early setback. “But I think it was a flat wicket in the end, which was nice. Some nice partnerships throughout. Most teams are trying to stack the batting. Most teams have a batter at eight, which is nice to have.”
Reflecting on areas for improvement despite the convincing result, Santner highlighted execution with the ball and consistency with the bat. “(Any areas to improve?) I think we could just be a little bit sharper. Again, I think we held our lengths for a long time, which is probably good on that wicket. 3 o'clock game, it might look different. It might just be flat to start. So, the cutters were holding a little bit,” he stated.
He also credited the batting depth and partnerships that followed, allowing New Zealand to regain control despite the early setback. “But I think it was a flat wicket in the end, which was nice. Some nice partnerships throughout. Most teams are trying to stack the batting. Most teams have a batter at eight, which is nice to have.”
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New Zealand will next face the UAE, while Afghanistan are set to take on South Africa later in the group stage.