New Zealand had an eventful run in the 2025 Champions Trophy, but they fell short of claiming the title. The only team to outplay them twice in the tournament was India, who secured the championship with a four-wicket victory in the final. After the loss, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner shared his thoughts on what went wrong in their bid to overcome the Indian challenge.
Santner on Rohit Sharma’s Impact and Dubai Conditions
Santner credited Rohit Sharma’s match-winning knock as the key factor in India’s triumph. Rohit’s composed 76 off 83 balls guided India to a successful chase of 252 in a tense final. Reflecting on the loss, Santner described the defeat as a “bittersweet end” to New Zealand’s campaign.
“I think the way Rohit Sharma played kind of took it away from us. Obviously, India understood the conditions in Dubai perfectly and played some good cricket. Yeah, I guess it’s kind of bittersweet at the end,” Santner said in the post-match press conference.
He also pointed out the contrasting conditions between Dubai and Lahore, where New Zealand had beaten South Africa in the semifinal. The Dubai pitch posed different challenges, which he felt played a role in the outcome of the final.
“I guess we just keep coming up against India, which is always a challenge. We knew the conditions would be slightly different from the semifinal, but we were prepared for that. I thought we still put in a pretty good performance and took India deep. But there are always a few moments in every game, especially a final, that you look back on,” he added.
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The Absence of Matt Henry: A Key Factor
Santner also acknowledged how much New Zealand missed star pacer Matt Henry, who had been in sensational form throughout the tournament. Henry’s injury ruled him out of the final, leaving the Black Caps without one of their most potent weapons in the bowling attack.
“He’s an outstanding bowler. We’ve seen how he can generate movement even on surfaces that don’t offer much. I guess we missed that today. I feel for Matty – he’s a massive team man, and he looked pretty distraught. We just kind of said, ‘Let’s do it for him.’ He tried everything to be ready for this game, but unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be,” Santner said.
With 10 wickets in just four matches, Henry was the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, proving to be a nightmare for opposing batters. His absence in the final was a significant setback for New Zealand’s bowling unit.
Despite falling short, the Black Caps once again proved their consistency in ICC tournaments, and Santner remains optimistic about their future in global events.
