Daryl Mitchell played a pivotal role in scripting New Zealand’s first-ever ODI series win in India.
New Zealand and India are all set to square off in a five-match T20I series, starting on Wednesday (January 21) in Nagpur. This is the last opportunity for both teams to finalize their playing combination for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
The Kiwis will enter the series on the back of a 2-1 ODI series win over India. Daryl Mitchell played a pivotal role in scripting New Zealand’s first-ever ODI series victory on Indian soil, earning the Player-of-the-Series award for scoring 352 runs in three matches.
On the eve of the T20I series opener, Black Caps skipper Mitchell Santner addressed a press conference, where he expressed confidence that Daryl will be able to carry his dominant ODI form to the shortest format.
“Daryl struggled against spin initially. But he worked incredibly hard and you can see the fruits of labour,” Santner said in the pre-match presser.
“He's playing spin well. He can control the game in middle overs during ODIs. Hope he does something similar in T20Is,” the left-arm spinner added.
Santner also stressed the significance of touring India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, describing it as an important learning experience for his team. The global showpiece tournament is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
“We love playing here. For us, it's about facing a great team in conditions which will be familiar during T20 World Cup,” he said.
Mitchell’s ODI exploits against India strengthens Santner’s confidence. The right-hander has been New Zealand’s stand-out batter against India in recent years, producing big scores across venues and conditions.
Mitchell’s ability to counter spin and dictate the tempo through the middle overs has been a big factor in New Zealand’s success against India in ODIs.
With the T20 World Cup around the corner, Santner is hoping Mitchell can bring the same clarity and composure into the T20I format.