Mitchell Santner has urged fans in New Zealand to wake up early and support New Zealand during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final against India at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. The match will start at 2:30am New Zealand time.The New Zealand captain asked fans in his home country to set their alarms and follow the final match, even though it will be held early in the morning.“KIA ORA AOTEAROA BLACKCAPS Captain Mitch Santner here. Sorry to bother you on Sunday. Now, I’m not really one for making big speeches or rallying cries. But I wanted to remind you all about the ICC T20 World Cup final against India in Ahmedabad on Monday morning (2.30am NZT).”See also: IND vs NZ live score
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Santner also noted that his team would be outnumbered by Indians fans in the stadium.
“It’s fair to say we’re a little outnumbered here – 1.4 billion Indian fans and all that,” Santner said. “I’m sure most of the fans at the 130,000 capacity Narendra Modi Stadium will be rooting too. But that’s all good – because we know you’ll be supporting us back home.”He encouraged fans to make time to watch the game, even if it means arriving to work or school late.
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“Even though you’re not with us – we see the pictures, the flyers, we hear the stories, we know about the late nights and early starts. We feel your spirit. We get it – the final is great for early on a Monday morning. But set the alarm and come over again. And if you’re a little late for work or school, please pass along my message to your boss or teachers. Cheers, Aotearoa – we’ll be home soon – and hopefully with some extra luggage,” the all-rounder said.Santner ended his message by saying that the team hopes to take home the trophy.“Aotearoa” is a Maori word meaning “land of long white clouds”. On Sunday night, India hopes those clouds over Motera will turn black for visitors.Earlier, Santner also said New Zealand aimed to “silence” the fans in Ahmedabad, where a large number of India supporters are expected to be present at the stadium.Meanwhile, India will be aiming for several milestones in the final. They are aiming to become the first host nation to win a T20 World Cup, the first team to defend the title, and the first team to win the tournament three times.India have reached the final of the T20 World Cup four times, the most by any team. Of the previous nine finals, six have been won by the chasing team. Of the remaining three, India have won twice – in 2007 and 2024 – both in matches decided in the final.