COLOMBO: Mitchell Santner is a protective shield around his teammates and finds a way to make them feel bigger in stature, New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra said in effusive praise of his captain after the Black Caps beat Sri Lanka by 61 runs to enter the T20 World Cup semifinals here.
While Ravindra scored 32 and also scalped 4 for 19 to win Player Of The Match award, it was skipper Santner's 26-ball 47 that propelled New Zealand to 168 for 7 after being down and out at 84 for 6.
He also bowled a miserly spell of 1/19 in four overs with half a dozen dot balls in Sri Lanka's 107 for 8.
According to Ravindra, the greatest attribute of Santner is showing the way with game-changing performances like the one against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.
"Obviously we all know how chill he (Santner) is but also how his mind works, like what ball is to bowl from what end is fantastic. But I think more than anything he leads through his performances and his work ethic," Ravindra said at the post-match press conference.
"He backs you and he pumps your tyres a lot and I think it's great to have a leader like that. Makes you feel ten feet tall and bulletproof every time you go out onto the field and he's just a great presence to have around the group," he added.
It is not just about motivating players but Santner's vast experience of bowling on sub-continental tracks also helps the spin bowling unit.
"You've got obviously Santner who's one of the best white ball spinners in the world who tells you what to bowl so that helps having that extra cover and we've got guys with a lot of experience," Rachin added.