Mohammad Amir Tears Into Mitchell Santner Over Tactical Blunder As His India Prediction Backfires

Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir found himself under the spotlight again as another one of his India predictions backfired. Amir had backed New Zealand to go all the way in the tournament and beat India in the final, but Suryakumar Yadav's men turned the contest into a one-sided affair. Playing at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the hosts emerged triumphant by 96 runs. The manner of India's win saw Amir question New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner's tactical calls at the start of the game.

New Zealand won the toss and opted to field first, hoping to dismiss India for a chaseable score. But the Kiwis committed the biggest blunder of the game when they ignored the option of an all-out off-spin attack against the under-fire Abhishek Sharma.

"Credit to New Zealand bowlers. They were bowling wides and being hit for sixes from there. It's not like India doesn't deserve any credit. I just didn't understand the bowling changes. When you know Abhishek Sharma struggles against spinners, you bring in Jacob Duffy," Amir said during a discussion on the 'Haarna Mana Hai' show.

"I have never seen New Zealand under such pressure. I have been following them since 2005, but I have never seen them under pressure," he added.

Mohammad Amir said, "Credit goes to New Zealand's bowling for India's win. They were bowling wides and those same balls were getting hit for sixes. The constant change of bowlers was strange. I've never seen New Zealand under this much pressure." pic.twitter.com/DUkstOtqvg

— Salman. (@TsMeSalman) March 8, 2026

India outmuscled New Zealand with the bat, piling up a whopping total of 255 runs. The likes of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, and Ishan Kishan all contributed to the tally, leaving New Zealand with a monumental target to chase.

Amir, who has often said that bowlers win you tournaments, admitted that India had busted the myth as they relied heavily on their explosive batting to get the job done time and again in this tournament.

"I have to give credit to India. They have busted the myth of fast bowlers winning you tournaments. Even the batters can do that. They have proven it. In the semi-final and final, on flat tracks, they scored more than 250," said Amir.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team Mohammad Amir Mitchell Santner T20 World Cup 2026 Cricket