Ahmedabad, March 7 (IANS) New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner believes India's Varun Chakaravarthy can still be a threat for his side in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, saying that it will only take one match for the mystery spinner to get back in form.

Speaking ahead of the title clash, Santner, who is New Zealand's spin spearhead, defended Varun after he conceded 64 runs against England in the semi-final. The New Zealand skipper said bowling on a flat wicket is always difficult, and any bowler can have a tough day.

“I mean, we’ve all seen how good he is, and I think the challenge for any bowler is when it is flat, what does it look like when it’s spinning and when it’s seaming, it’s obviously a challenge for every batter but when it is flat what does that look like and I think everyone goes for 60 on their day,” Santner said in the pre match press conference.

“So I think it’s, again, for Varun, and I think he’s got to know that he’s still a very good bowler, and is only one game away from changing the tide. And it’s the same with any bowler or any batter. If they’re out of form, they’re only one game away from being back in form,” he added.

The world No.1 bowler Chakaravarthy was in excellent form during the group stage of the tournament. He took nine wickets in four matches and maintained an economy rate of 5.2. His timely breakthroughs helped India stay unbeaten in the group stage.

However, his performance dipped after that. In the three Super 8 stage matches and the semi-final, he managed only four wickets. He has also been expensive in those games, conceding runs at an economy rate of 11.6, which has created some concern for the Indian team.

India and New Zealand have taken similar paths to the semifinals. India topped their preliminary group stage and then scampered into the last-four stage, beating the West Indies in a must-win clash, while New Zealand qualified on the basis of better Net Run Rate after a tie on four points with Pakistan in the Super 8 stage.

India are hoping to become the first country to win the prestigious title thrice, while the BlackCaps are looking to claim their maiden crown.

–-IANS

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