Jacob Duffy of New Zealand celebrates the wicket during the 4th T20I match between India and New Zealand at Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam, India, on January 28, 2026. (CREIMAS for BCCI)
Even though New Zealand lost their recently-concluded five-match T20I series against India 4-1 as a build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, former Indian pacer Varun Aaron feels Mitchell Santner’s side could still pose a significant threat to India in the multinational showpiece event. Aaron credited New Zealand batters’ ability against spin and their vast experience of playing in Indian conditions through the IPL.
“They are a big challenge for India because they have a lot of players in their ranks who can play spin really well,” Aaron said while speaking to Star Sports.
“We all know that when you come to the subcontinent, your batters have to be able to negotiate spin well, and they also have a lot of experience playing in the IPL. The likes of Daryl Mitchell, somebody who is in prime form, is going to be key in this New Zealand setup.
“The thing with New Zealand is that they have this never-give-up attitude. They can come from behind and win games. New Zealand is a team which has never had massive superstars when you compare them to the likes of Australia and India, but somehow they all chip in, and most importantly, on the field, they save a lot of runs,” he added.
New Zealand are placed in Group B, which is considered tricky as it includes South Africa, Afghanistan, the UAE, and Canada.
Aaron said the Kiwis possess one of the most well-rounded bowling attacks, which will suit the conditions.
“New Zealand have one of the most well-rounded bowling attacks, whether it comes to spin or pace, because a lot of their players have extensive IPL experience. When you have IPL experience, you know how conditions are going to play out. You know each venue really well, especially someone like Mitchell Santner, who is going to be key for them, particularly when the wickets get slower towards the backend,” he said
“They have got Afghanistan and South Africa, two very potent teams, especially Afghanistan. Afghanistan, for me, are the dark horses, especially in the group stages. They can knock out any team on a given day. So New Zealand are really going to have to be at their best if they want to qualify for the next stage,” added Aaron.
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