Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has fired a warning to New Zealand ahead of the Champions Trophy final against India. The Kiwis will meet the Men in Blue in the final of an ICC event for the first time in 25 years on Sunday. Akhtar, who has lavished praise on Rohit Sharma and co. so far in the tournament, has thrown his weight behind Santner and co. to overcome the hurdle posed by India.
Akhtar backs New Zealand to beat India in Champions Trophy final
Speaking on the show ‘Game on Hai’, Akhtar said that New Zealand should forget that they were up against a formidable Indian side and that they were underdogs. The Rawalpindi Express claimed that he had observed Kiwi captain Mitchell Santner from close quarters, adding that he wanted to win the Champions Trophy. India handed NZ a 44-run defeat in their last meeting in the group stage of the tournament.
“Ye bhul jana chahiye ki India samne hai, ye bhul jana chahie ki aap lesser team hai. You should forget that you are not good. Santner has that belief. I have seen it in him. As a captain, he wants to win the title,” Akhtar said.
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Akhtar further fired a warning to the New Zealand camp about Rohit Sharma’s approach. He said that the Indian skipper would try to neutralise the spinners and it was Santner’s job to handle his team. He further said that the scales were tipped in favour of India (70-30) to win the tie but New Zealand could cause an upset if they brought their A-game to the match.
“You have to do the right thing at the right time. You have to break the onslaught. Rohit Sharma will on the attack. He will try to neutralise your spinners. He will attack Santner. At that point, he has to handle his team as a leader,” Akhtar added.
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