Mitchell Santner takes a dig at Swiggy: New Zealand has been one of the strong contenders for the 2026 T20 World Cup. They have been lethal in their batting, however, the Kiwis’ bowling has not been aggressive. Their first Super 8 match against Pakistan was abandoned without a single ball being bowled.
Ahead of the next match against Sri Lanka, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has made a funny comment on the experience of ordering food in India. The Kiwi captain missed last Tuesday’s group stage match against Canada due to an illness caused by the ‘dodgy burger’, as mentioned by then stand-in captain Daryl Mitchell.
‘It didn’t work out, so I haven’t done it since’ – Michelle Santner
Mitchell Santner was asked ‘And yourself, are you staying away from any fast food?’ Mitchell Santner responded, “Yeah, I ordered a Swiggy once during this trip and it didn’t work out, so I haven’t done that since. So, no, I’m absolutely fine. We obviously have one more night, but we’ll see.”
Mitchell Santner was recently in an exclusive conversation with Cricbuzz during the T20 World Cup 2026. He also talked about bowling to left-handed batsmen and managing his four-over spells as well as leading the team.
‘Yeah, I think the challenge these days is the smaller grounds’ – Mitchell Santner
The Kiwi skipper was asked about the T20 landscape obsessed with big hitting and mystery, and how he has managed to keep the art of left-arm orthodox bowling relevant and, in many ways, attractive again.
Santer replied, “Yes, I think the challenge these days is smaller grounds and, as you said, big hitting. I think there is still room for finger spin with accuracy. For me, I think, it is trying to deceive the batsman through variations of pace in flight and off the wicket.”
“The key is to be able to adapt and see what is going to be the most threatening on the surface. You get some flat wickets in India, it can take a more defensive role, trying to take wickets that way.”
“Then you come here to a ground like Colombo where there is a bit of spin and you can play a more aggressive role, bowl your stock ball longer, less variations, things like that.”
New Zealand underdog or favorite for T20 World Cup?
New Zealand is playing fearless cricket in the tournament. They are one of those teams that has consistently dominated across all formats. The Kiwis have reached four finals of the last nine ICC tournaments across all formats and have won only once.
Mitchell Santner’s side will take on Sri Lanka in their next Super 8 match on Wednesday, February 25 at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. It is a must-win match for both sides as co-hosts Sri Lanka lost by a margin of 51 runs and the Black Caps have a point after their game was cancelled.
Kiwi batsmen, especially openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen, will try to take charge from the very first ball. Both the batsmen are in great form in this World Cup.
Also read: Ravi Shastri picks England as top contenders for T20WC, highlights amazing turnaround
