Ahead of the T20 World Cup final against India, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged the pivotal role of Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, calling him a “game changer” while also emphasizing that focusing solely on him would be unwise.

Bumrah has been in exceptional form throughout the tournament, with his death-over bowling against England in the semi-final earning widespread acclaim. “Bumrah, yeah, I think he should be in everyone’s conversation, the way he has been going. Against England, he looked pretty hard to hit. And he was obviously the game changer for India the other night,” Santner said on Saturday.

However, Santner stressed that India’s strength lies in the collective performance of its players. “He's obviously a world-class bowler. But not just him, everyone has stepped up at different times. And as a team, that's where you want to be,” he added.

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The remarks came a day after New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips suggested that even Bumrah is human and capable of an off day. “Bumrah is a fantastic bowler… but he is human as well. He is allowed to have a bad day, as are the rest of us,” Phillips said, adding a subtle note of encouragement for the Black Caps.

Santner also addressed concerns over Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy, whose tournament has been below expectations. “No, I don’t think so,” Santner said when asked if this could give New Zealand a psychological edge. “We have all seen how good he is… you are only one game away from changing the tide.”

Previewing the final, Santner anticipated a flat, high-scoring pitch. “I haven't had a look at the wicket yet, but one can only assume it's going to be pretty flat and high scoring. Against England, India scored 253/7, but if we can restrict them to 220, it might give us a good chance,” he said.

With strategic focus on both star performers and the broader Indian lineup, New Zealand hopes to counter the formidable batting and bowling threats in what promises to be a high-stakes T20 final.

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