Near Misses, Fighting Spirit, and a Glimpse of Promise

New Zealand's Bittersweet Champions Trophy Journey

New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner expressed pride in his team's Champions Trophy campaign, despite falling short in the final against India. This marked the Black Caps' fourth consecutive loss in a major global tournament final over the past decade.

"It's starting to add up a bit now," Santner admitted, acknowledging the pattern of near misses. However, he emphasized the quality of opposition they faced, stating, "If you make finals, you're coming up against another pretty good team who's also playing some good cricket."

Despite the defeat, Santner highlighted the team's fighting spirit and resilience. "I was proud with the way we fought tonight," he said. "I think we pride ourselves on not giving up, and I don't think we did..."

He acknowledged the bittersweet nature of the result, stating, "I guess it's bittersweet. You always want to win one of these, and I don't know how many more chances we'll get, but this one was up there for us."

Santner praised the team's overall performance, noting their strong run leading into the final. "I think we were playing some good cricket leading into this, and we thought we were a real sniff today, but I guess we just got beaten by a good team."

The Black Caps faced challenges throughout the tournament, including injuries to key players Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra. However, Santner emphasized the team's ability to adapt and overcome adversity. "It's never going to go perfectly in these tournaments," he said. "And you could take it back to a few different things but I think we didn't really complain about anything. We just kind of get on with it. That's how we like to operate."

Santner expressed pride in the team's collective effort, highlighting the contributions of both experienced and younger players. "I'm incredibly proud of this group the way we've gone about it throughout this tournament," he said. "We had a mix of experienced players, but a few younger players in the squad. It's been an easy one to captain, different guys stepping up at different times throughout the tournament, which has been outstanding. And we came up against a very good team today."

While the Champions Trophy ended in disappointment, Santner and his team can take heart in their fighting spirit and the promise they displayed throughout the tournament.