A bittersweet end as Rohit took the match away from us, Says Mitchell Santner

New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner accepted that Rohit Sharma's impressive innings became the turning point of the Champions Trophy final, calling his team's four-wicket defeat as a "bittersweet finish."

Rohit scored an unbeaten 76 off 83 balls and helped India surpass 252 in a nail-biting match on Sunday.

"Rohit Sharma's batting really set us back on our heels. India, with a good knowledge of the conditions here in Dubai, played their game plan to perfection. Yeah, I suppose it's a bit of a mixed bag at the end," Santner said in the post-match press conference.

Though they lost the title showdown, Santner was proud of his team's performance throughout the tournament.

We had a tough opponent in the final. There were times during the game when we made them feel the pressure, which was promising, but there were also some times when we let the game get away from us," he said.

"But on balance, I am extremely proud of how this team has conducted itself during the tournament," he said.

The Kiwi skipper also commented on his team's preparation for Dubai conditions, which were very different from Lahore, where they had won a semifinal against South Africa.

"It looks like we keep coming up against India, which is always a challenging match. We knew the conditions would be different from the semifinal, but we were ready for that.".

"I believe we still played a good game and were able to push the game deep. But in every game, particularly in a final, there are going to be key moments that can determine the result," he said.

Santner also conceded that losing Matt Henry, who was sidelined for the final after suffering a shoulder injury, was a big setback. Henry was the tournament's highest wicket-taker with 10 scalps.

"He's a very good bowler. He can get movement even on tracks that don't provide much, so we certainly missed him today.

"I feel really sorry for Matty—he's a wonderful team man, and he was really upset. We wanted to win it for him. He did everything in his power to be available for the final, but it just wasn't to be," Santner added.