Rawalpindi, Feb 23 New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner believes Bangladesh remains a dangerous side despite missing Shakib Al Hasan in the Champions Trophy 2025. Ahead of their crucial group-stage clash on Monday at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Santner highlighted Bangladesh’s growing depth, particularly in the pace and spin departments.
The Black Caps enter the match with momentum, having won the tri-series against Pakistan and South Africa before defeating the host nation again by 60 runs in their Champions Trophy opener. Santner expressed confidence in his squad but acknowledged the need to adapt to conditions.
“We have a few plans for Bangladesh, but we have to wait and see how the wicket plays. If it’s flat, we’ll have to hit that hard length for a long period. They’ve always had strong spinners, but now they also have some very good quick bowlers coming through. Taskin [Ahmed] has been performing for a long time, we know how good Fizz [Mustafizur Rahman] can be, and young Nahid Rana is also an exciting prospect," said Santner in the pre-match press conference.
For Bangladesh, the equation is simple—win or face elimination. The Najmul Hossain Shanto-led side suffered a six-wicket defeat against India in their opening game and are currently third in the group with a net run rate of -0.408. A loss here would make their chances of progressing extremely slim.
However, Santner praised Bangladesh’s batting unit, mentioning Mahmudullah’s all-round ability, the rise of wicketkeeper-batter Jaker Ali, and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain, who has impressed in recent matches. He emphasised that New Zealand must execute their plans well to counter Bangladesh’s strengths.
New Zealand’s batting has been in fine form, with Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham, and Will Young all performing well in recent matches. Santner stressed the importance of building partnerships and adjusting to the conditions in Rawalpindi, which traditionally offers high-scoring encounters.
While Rawalpindi is known to be a batter-friendly venue, Santner believes New Zealand’s bowlers must focus on containment and consistency. "You know, if it is pretty flat. I think it's it is probably similar stuff to what we've been operating in in Karachi. It's, you know, hitting that hard length for a long period of time. And then, we know they have some destructive players in their line up as well.
"So I think traditionally it's quite a high scoring ground. So we have to be on and then with the bat, yeah, we just talk about trying to build partnerships and do that out there."
Despite Bangladesh missing Shakib, Santner remains wary of their balance and experience. “They know how to operate on these surfaces, and we are quite familiar with them too. It’s all about executing our plans and adapting quickly.”
New Zealand will look to seal their semifinal spot with a win, while Bangladesh must bounce back from their loss to India to stay in contention.
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