daryl mitchel will hold key: Kiwi captain threatened Team India by taking the name of which batsman

New Delhi. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said here on Tuesday that he is hopeful that Daryl Mitchell will continue his excellent ODI form in the five-match T20 series against India starting on Wednesday. Mitchell played an important role in New Zealand’s 2-1 series win by scoring 84, 131 and 137 runs in the three ODIs played against India.

“Darryl struggled against spin initially but he worked incredibly hard and now you can see the results of his hard work,” Santner said of his senior batsman on the eve of the first T20 match.

Left-arm spinner Santner said, “He is playing spin well. In ODI, he can control the game in the middle overs. It is expected that he will perform similarly in T20 matches also. Santner also stressed the importance of playing in India before the T20 World Cup and termed this tour as very important for his team. The World Cup to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka will start from February 7. He said, “We love playing here and it means a lot to us that we are getting a chance to face a strong team in Indian conditions before the T20 World Cup.

Mitchell’s recent ODI record against India makes Santner’s expectations clear. Mitchell has performed consistently well against India in the last few years and has played big innings in different conditions. He has become New Zealand’s most important batsman due to his ability to play spin well and control the game in the middle overs. With the T20 World Cup around the corner, Santner is hopeful that Mitchell will maintain the same clarity and composure in the T20 International format, where India’s spin-dominant attack could pose a tough challenge to the Kiwi batsmen.