Mitchell Santner's 'Revenge' Verdict As India Play New Zealand Next With WTC On Mind

Santner Sets Up the Rematch: India Tour NZ With WTC Weight on Shoulders

Namaste, cricket family. 🙏

Let me set the rhythm here, because this series has a certain taal to it — a cycle of unfinished business waiting to resolve.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has opened up about the upcoming three-format tour, and there's a quiet hunger in the air. The Black Caps have been India's bogey side in recent years — they swept a three-match ODI series back in January, and in 2024 they pulled off that historic 3-0 Test whitewash on Indian soil. That stings. And India arrive in the Kiwi backyard with one thing on their mind: settling the score.

The schedule, note it down:

- Whiteball campaign kicks off Oct 22 — five T20Is and five ODIs, running through Nov 15

- The two-match Test series follows, Wellington opening Nov 19-23, with the decider in Christchurch Nov 27-Dec 1

The WTC angle matters: this isn't just pride at stake. NZ sit third in the standings, India fifth. Every run, every wicket carries championship weight.

Santner, when pressed on whether India come seeking revenge, simply smiled — "They might be..." — but made clear he expects a fiercely contested battle across all formats. He flagged the difference in conditions: NZ pitches may offer more green seamers and seam-friendly assistance compared to what India faced at home. Yet he wouldn't mince words about India's quality — "pretty good" bowling attack in both whiteball and redball.

A keenly contested series indeed. The tempo is being set. 🎶

What's your take — can India avenge the whitewash, or do the Kiwis reign at home once more? Let's discuss.

Source: NDTV Sports