Tag: Mitchell Santner

New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner has been ruled out for at least a month after scans confirmed a grade three ACL injury in his left shoulder, dealing a significant blow to the Black Caps ahead of a busy red-ball schedule.

The 34-year-old sustained the injury while fielding for the Mumbai Indians during their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on April 23.

Santner was forced off the field during the match and was later replaced, with subsequent assessments confirming the extent of the injury.

He has since returned to New Zealand, where a specialist advised a period of rest and rehabilitation of at least one month.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The recovery timeline effectively rules him out of the one-off Test against Ireland scheduled for May 27, as well as the opening Test of the three-match series against England at Lord’s starting June 4.

“The 34-year-old returned home to New Zealand this week and saw a specialist this morning who confirmed a rest and rehabilitation period of at least one month,” New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said in a statement.

“The diagnosis means Santner is unavailable for the one-off Test against Ireland [in late May] and the first Test against England [at Lord’s in early June], with his availability for the second and third Tests to be evaluated at a later date.”

New Zealand currently occupy second place in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings and will be aiming to maintain their strong position in the ongoing cycle despite the setback.

READ: Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi invites Daren Sammy to PSL 11 final

New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner said on Tuesday that adapting to slow-turning pitches in Colombo would be key for their crucial T20 World Cup clash against co-hosts Sri Lanka.

The Black Caps need a win in their second Super Eights match in Group 2 on Wednesday at the R. Premadasa Stadium after their first match against Pakistan was washed out at the same venue.

Pakistan and England are currently facing off at the Pallekele International Stadium.

Santner’s team have been in the Sri Lankan capital for a week after finishing their group stage in India.

“Yeah I mean it’s I guess yeah it is what it is I mean you obviously want to play every game, and Pakistan are in the same boat so yeah I guess we’ll be watching the game tonight between Pakistan and England,” Santner said in the pre-match press conference.

“I guess that’s the challenge when you play a tournament in two countries — we played in Chennai and Ahmedabad on flat pitches and here we have to play a bit differently,” the left-arm spinner added.

“But I think you pick a squad of 15, knowing that you could potentially be in both countries on slightly slower wickets, on some flat ones as well.”

Santner also noted that, “So I think we have the spin kind of options covered as well, which is nice, but it’s just going out there and adjusting as fast as you can.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Sri Lanka come into the contest in a must-win situation after they suffered a huge loss to England in their Super Eights opener in Kandy.

But Santner said Sri Lanka are always a tough nut to crack in their own den.

“Sri Lanka are a very strong side at home and they dominate conditions here,” said Santner.

“They are missing a couple of players but there’s quality in that line-up. We are lucky that we have played them a lot in recent years and there are no secrets.”

New Zealand have one point from the rained-off match against Pakistan, while Sri Lanka stay bottom among four teams in the Super Eights group.

A defeat for New Zealand will dent their chances of making the semi-finals.

“Any game in the Super Eight is sort of knock out,” said Santner. “We know that it is the same for Sri Lanka. We want to put out a good show tomorrow and walk out with a win.”

READ: T20 World Cup: West Indies thrash Zimbabwe in Super Eight clash

Captain Mitchell Santner delivered late fireworks with the bat as New Zealand beat the West Indies by five wickets in the second one-day international on Wednesday to win the series.

Santner smashed 34 not out off 15 balls to carry the hosts home at 248-5 with three deliveries to spare after the tourists posted 247-9.

The match at Napier’s McLean Park was reduced by rain to 34 overs each after a three-hour wait to start.

West Indies captain Shai Hope unfurled a brilliant 109 off 69 balls to give them a chance of squaring the three-match series after the hosts won the opener by seven runs in Christchurch on Sunday.

But some wayward late bowling opened the door for New Zealand, who have now won 11 successive ODI bilateral series at home dating back to 2019.

The result was hanging in the balance with three overs remaining, when the home side still required 40 runs to win.

Santner then struck the otherwise impressive seamer Matthew Forde for two fours and a six in successive balls.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

He swatted a six and four from the following over bowled by Shamar Springer to swing the advantage firmly to New Zealand.

Seasoned all-rounder Santner sealed victory with a cover drive off Jayden Seales and said he always felt the target could be hauled in.

“I thought 247 was a good score. They batted really well, but it’s one of those grounds where, if you get a good start, you can cash in at the back end,” he said.

Tom Latham was left not out on 39 while the chase was set up nicely by half-centuries to Devon Conway (90) and Rachin Ravindra (56) before New Zealand lost momentum through the middle stages.

Earlier, Hope produced his 19th ton in the format, finishing with 13 fours and four sixes as he became the seventh West Indies player to go past 6,000 ODI runs.

He is the second fastest to reach the milestone — in 147 matches — behind Viv Richards.

The tourists pummelled 111 off the last nine overs, with lower-order batter Justin Greaves, Romario Shepherd, and Forde all passing 20 to provide support for Hope.

Nathan Smith bagged late wickets for New Zealand to record career-best figures of 4-42 while fellow seamer Kyle Jamieson took 3-44.

The final ODI will be played in Hamilton on Saturday.

READ: No India-Pakistan clash as ICC announces U19 World Cup 2026 schedule

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has acknowledged that India have an advantage going into the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, with their familiarity with the Dubai conditions potentially giving them an edge.

India, who have played all their matches in Dubai, are well-versed with the surface, which Santner believes may play a crucial role in determining how the final unfolds.

New Zealand captain noted that the surface in Dubai may be slower than the one they encountered in Lahore, which could lead to a more challenging contest.

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

“They’ve played all their games here in Dubai and know that surface. Obviously, the surface will dictate a little bit of how we want to operate,” said Santner.

“It might be a little bit slower than what we got in Lahore. It might be more of a scrap, but we’re down to scrap.”

Mitchell Santner expressed confidence in his team’s performance despite the challenges posed by the conditions and the traveling schedule during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The Blackcaps played their last group-stage match in Dubai against India on March 2 before rushing to Lahore for their semi-final.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

After securing their place in the finals, the team has returned to Dubai, but Santner believes the team has adapted to the quick travel schedule.

“It’s just the general feel of this tournament, moving around a lot. It’s all part of the challenge. I think we’ve been to every place here,” Santner commented, referring to the demanding travel schedule between Dubai and Lahore.

“Obviously, in Pakistan and Dubai. I think the guys understand it’s part of it these days. As long as you’re ready to go for the game, it’s fine.”

READ: Former Pakistan captain calls Babar Azam’s father’s Instagram post ‘inappropriate’

KARACHI: New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner is ready to embrace the challenge of facing Pakistan in the tri-nation series final here on Friday at National Bank Stadium.

Santner, in a press conference, acknowledged that his team faces an uphill battle against Pakistan, with the majority of the fans supporting the home team.

“Pakistan’s atmosphere is always enjoyable, new and packed stadiums are outstanding, we expect it same tomorrow,” said the skipper.

He stated that yesterday’s wicket was very flat; we expect another high-scoring game in the tri-nation series final.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

When asked about Pakistan’s batting and New Zealand playing XI in the final, he said a decision has not yet been made.

He also praised Muhammad Rizwan and Agha Salman for their brilliant batting against South Africa in a crucial encounter.

“We have not finalized our playing xi; Rizwan and Agha batted brilliantly,” remarked Santner

Mitchell Santner termed Kane Williamson a vital player in the final against Pakistan. He further highlighted the importance of middle overs, stating that wickets are key to slow the scoring.

“Wickets in the middle overs are the key to lowering the run rate. Williamson has been brilliant, and we expect another good performance from him in the final,” he said.

He also addressed the concerns regarding Rachin Ravindra’s health and the speculation surrounding him.

“Obviously, Rachin will not be available for tomorrow’s game, but he is in good spirits. We are closely monitoring his condition,” said Santner.

For the unversed, New Zealand reached the tri-nation series final comprehensively by beating Pakistan and South Africa. On the other hand, Pakistan bounced back against the Proteas after their highest run chase of 353 runs in an ODI match to secure a birth in the final.

New Zealand and Pakistan will also face each other on 19 February in the opening match of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

READ: Kevin Pietersen names his semi-finalists for Champions Trophy 2025

AUCKLAND: New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has appointed all-rounder Mitchell Santner as captain of the white-ball teams on Wednesday.

Santner has taken over the captaincy from Kane Williamson, the star batter who stepped down from the position following the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 held in June.

The 32-year-old left-arm spinner has prior experience leading New Zealand, having captained the side in 24 T20Is and four ODIs. However, his first series as the full-time captain will be against Sri Lanka, scheduled for late December.

“It’s obviously a huge honour and a privilege to be asked,” Santner said. “When you’re a young kid the dream was always to play for New Zealand but to have the opportunity to officially lead my country in two formats is special.

“It’s a new challenge and I’m excited to get stuck into the important period of white-ball cricket that we have ahead of us.”

New Zealand’s head coach Gary Stead has elaborated on the decision not to appoint Tom Latham as white-ball captain.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Stead emphasized that the main factor influencing this decision was Latham’s current workload, suggesting that balancing captaincy of both red-ball and white-ball teams would have been challenging for the player.

“In Tom Latham, we have an accomplished and experienced captain who has led the side admirably across all three formats,” Stead said.

“Tom’s doing a great job as full-time Test captain since taking over in October and we’re keen to allow him to focus on that job which requires a considerable amount of time and energy.”

“Mitch is a fantastic team man and leads by example in all facets of the game. He’s an incredibly calm and collected personality and he has a huge amount of respect in the changing room, which will serve him well.

“He’s had plenty of experience leading the T20 side and did a good job when he captained the ODI team last month, so he already has a good understanding of what it means to lead the team.

“I’m sure Mitch will also bring his own ideas and style of leadership to the role.”

READ: Ravichandran Ashwin announces retirement from international cricket

PUNE: Tom Latham scored an anchoring half-century after Mitchell Santner dismantled the strong India batting unit to put New Zealand in a commanding position on the second day of the second Test here at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday.

At the Stumps on Day 2, New Zealand had accumulated 198/5 in their second innings, leading India by a massive 301 runs.

The New Zealand captain played an instrumental role in asserting dominance over the struggling hosts, courtesy of his gritty 86-run knock, featuring 10 boundaries.

Latham dominated the Indian bowlers until the in-form Washington Sundar managed to breach his defences and trapped him lbw to give India a bit of relief.

But Glenn Phillips batted sensibly alongside wicketkeeper batter Tom Blundell for an unbeaten 16-run stand for the sixth wicket to avoid any stir.

Sundar, who bagged seven wickets in the first innings, once again troubled New Zealand batters and made four scalps, registering his maiden 10-wicket match haul. He was supported by fellow spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who took one wicket.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Earlier in the day, India resumed their first innings from 16/1 through youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, who pushed their total to 50 until Mitchell Santner removed Gill on 30.

Santner then added further to the misery of the home side by claiming the prized scalp of Virat Kohli (1).

Phillips supported Santner by picking two quick wickets, dismissing Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant as India slipped further to 83/5.

Mitchell Santner then ran through India’s lower middle order and thus booked them on a meagre total to strengthen New Zealand’s command.

He returned sensational bowling figures of 7/53, followed by Phillips with two wickets, while Tim Southee made one scalp.

Remember, New Zealand lead the three-match series 1-0 as they stunned India by eight wickets in the opening match.

READ: Sri Lanka A thrash Pakistan Shaheens to reach Emerging Asia Cup final

Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner took his 100th one-day international wicket in the ICC World Cup 2023 victory over Afghanistan but admitted it will be a “tough challenge” to even get within touching distance of New Zealand record holder Daniel Vettori.

Fellow spinner Vettori, who retired after the 2015 World Cup final, ended his career with 297 ODI wickets for New Zealand, as well as an additional eight more taken with a World XI team.

On Wednesday, Santner took 3-39 as Afghanistan were dismissed for just 139 to lose by 149 runs.

The 31-year-old now has 102 ODI wickets and his 11 at this World Cup put him on top of the bowling charts while also boasting a mean average of just over 15.

“It’s obviously nice to get to that milestone,” said Santner of reaching the 100-wicket mark, becoming only the second Kiwi spinner behind Vettori to achieve the distinction.

“But I am just trying to perform my role and do a job out there.”

He added: “I think I’m 200-odd wickets behind him (Vettori), so it’s going to be a tough challenge to get there. But yeah, I obviously watched a lot of him do his thing over a long period of time.”

Santner is enjoying the spin-friendly conditions of the sub-continent, which is a world away from the seamers’ paradise that is New Zealand.

“It’s obviously nice to come here and see the ball spin a little bit which you don’t really get in New Zealand,” said Santner.

New Zealand, runners-up at the last two World Cups, are well placed to reach the semi-finals after a fourth win in four games so far.

Afghanistan, who shocked defending champions England on Sunday, were the authors of their own downfall, dropping five catches.

In stark contrast, Santner took a superb catch to dismiss Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi.

“I didn’t think I was going to get there at the start,” said Santner of his catch off fast bowler Lockie Ferguson.

“But I guess lucky for me I’ve got very long arms and was able to kind of pluck it out.”

Santner praised Afghanistan’s bowling which reduced the Kiwis to 110-4 at one stage.

“I think you’ve got to give credit to Afghanistan,” he said. “They bowled extremely well at the top.”

Next for New Zealand will be a clash with India, the tournament’s only other undefeated side, in Dharamsala on Sunday.

“They look pretty tough to beat,” said Santner of India who face Bangladesh in Pune on Thursday, after having won their first three games.

“We’ll have to do our assessment in Dharamsala — see what the wicket’s going to do. And obviously there has been a little pace and bounce, but whether that is the case when we play them, we’ll see.

“So yeah, we’ve just got to keep focused on the things we want to and how we want to play. Obviously, it’s nice to be in this position to lead into this game.”

READ: England to get major boost ahead of South Africa clash

KINGSTON: Kane Williamson shone with a solid 47-run knock on his return as Black Caps captain with Jimmy Neesham blasting 33 off 15 down the order while Mitchell Santner bagged three wickets to aid New Zealand edge past West Indies by 13 runs in the opening encounter of three-match T20I series, here on Wednesday.

Set to chase a respectable target of 186, West Indies’ top-order put up a dismal show losing four wickets for 49 in the 7th over. A resounding knock of 42 off 43 by opener Shamarh Brooks and late retaliation by the lower order proved insignificant for the Windies to get past the finishing line.

All-rounder Jason Holder and Rovman Powell scored 25 off 19 and 18 off 12 respectively, before Romario Shepherd (31*) and Odean Smith (27*) combined excellently and entertained the crowd till the bast with their powerful hits.

New Zealand, however, restricted the West Indies on 172/7 in their 20 overs on the back of phenomenal figures of 3/19 by left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner while Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi and Lockie Ferguson claimed a wicket each.

Earlier after being put to bat, Black Caps went for a solid start with a 62-run opening stand by Martin Guptill (!6) and Devon Conway (43) before right-arm pacer Smith struck twice in the eighth over to get rid of both the openers.

Skipper Williamson then led the charge for Kiwis before Neesham played a late cameo laced with three fours and two sixes to reach the comprehensive total of 185/5 in the first innings.

For West Indies, Odean Smith remained the topped the bowling sheet with his 3/32 while Holder and Obed McCoy took wicket apiece.

READ: Kyrgios beats No. 1 Medvedev at Montreal, Alcaraz and Tsitsipas ousted

AUCKLAND: New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the team’s departure for Ireland for the limited-overs tour. 

Santner, who has recently been named as Kiwi captain for the T20I series against Ireland, has been barred to fly with the squad for the upcoming tour after testing corona positive.

Shane Jurgensen, New Zealand’s head coach for the Ireland series, said Santner’s availability for the six matches against the Irish will be determined once he recovers from Covid and arrives in Dublin.

“We’ve got 11 games across the three tours and another tour to follow against the West Indies in August, which Mitch will be involved with, so we certainly won’t be looking to rush him,” he said.

The Kiwis will face the hosts Ireland in three-match ODI series commencing on July 10, followed by three T20I matches on July 18, 20, and 22.

READ: Bumrah powers India to dominate England on second day at Edgbaston