Mitchell Santner, the captain of New Zealand, acknowledged that Rohit Sharma’s superb 76-run innings was the key factor in India’s victory in the Champions Trophy final. Santner described the four-wicket defeat as “bittersweet,” as India chased down New Zealand’s total of 252 in a tense finish.
“I think Rohit Sharma’s performance really took the game away from us. India understood the Dubai conditions better and played great cricket,” Santner said in the post-match interview. “It’s definitely a bittersweet end, but I’m proud of how we played.”
Santner praised his team for their efforts in the final, despite the loss. “We came up against a strong side, and at times we put up a good fight. There were moments where we lost control, but I’m incredibly proud of the team’s overall performance in this tournament.”
Looking at the challenge of facing India, Santner acknowledged that the conditions in Dubai were different from their semifinal win in Lahore. “We knew the pitch would play differently, but we were ready for it. We gave India a tough time, but there were small moments we could have capitalized on.”
The absence of key pacer Matt Henry, who was ruled out due to a shoulder injury, was another factor in their defeat. Henry had been the tournament’s highest wicket-taker with 10 wickets.
“Matt’s an exceptional bowler, and we really missed him today. He’s a big part of the team and wanted to play, but unfortunately, he wasn’t fit for this game,” Santner said. “We did it for him, though. We all wanted to make sure his effort wasn’t in vain.”
