IND vs NZ, 1st T20: Santner says New Zealand focussed on bigger picture for T20 World Cup

New Zealand T20I skipper Mitchell Santner said his team was not stressing on its latest triumphs against India in the ODIs, and that the ultimate objective of the five-match T20I series was to look at the “bigger picture” and “have good practice leading into the World Cup”.

“I guess we’ve had some recent success [in India] in different formats. For us, [this series] is about playing a great team in similar conditions to what we’re going to have in the World Cup,” Santner said at the VCA stadium on Tuesday, the eve of the first T20I.

The Kiwi skipper understands that the Men in Blue wear a different look in T20Is, and wouldn’t be burdened by what transpired in the ODIs. “The results in the ODI series were good, but T20 is a different series against a different team.”

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“Obviously, we’re trying to find the team that we want to put out on the park. We just want the guys to be performing and fresh. So, first things first, you want to win the series, no doubt. Every time you play for New Zealand, you want to win. So that’s in the forefront of our minds. But the bigger picture at the end of the series is the World Cup,” Santner emphasised.

Published on Jan 20, 2026