New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has announced that white-ball skipper Mitchell Santner will be out of action for at least a month after scans confirmed a grade-three ACL shoulder injury. The allrounder’s IPL run was cut short earlier this month, with Santner having played four matches for Mumbai Indians in the 2026 season before the problem forced him to return home.
Injury update and IPL impact
- NZC confirmed that Santner, who captains New Zealand in limited-overs cricket, has sustained a grade-three ACL shoulder injury.
- The 34-year-old featured in four IPL appearances for Mumbai Indians in 2026 before the injury curtailed his stint a few days ago.
- Santner suffered the shoulder injury while fielding for Mumbai Indians during their match against Chennai Super Kings on April 23.
- He returned to New Zealand earlier this week and was assessed by a specialist on the morning of the NZC update.
- NZC’s release states the recovery plan will involve rest and rehabilitation for a minimum period of one month.
With the New Zealand-Bangladesh T20I series already in progress, Santner’s injury will be monitored alongside the team’s next commitments. Later in the month, New Zealand are scheduled to play a one-off four-day Test against Ireland in Belfast, and the NZC statement makes it clear that Santner will not be available for that match.
What it means for upcoming Tests
- The injury diagnosis leaves Santner unavailable for the one-off Test versus Ireland.
- He is also expected to miss the first Test against England.
- His involvement in the second and third Tests against England will depend on his fitness closer to those matches.
- The full squads for the Ireland and England Tests are set to be announced in the coming days.
The one-off Test against Ireland begins at Stormont in Belfast on May 27. New Zealand’s three-match England series is scheduled to be played at Lord’s from June 4-8, The Oval from June 17-21, and Trent Bridge from June 25-29.
Santner’s IPL numbers before the injury
In the four IPL games Santner played, he finished with five wickets. While he contributed with the ball, his figures also reflected a high cost at times, with an economy rate of nearly 9 runs per over. Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings, he was particularly expensive. The allrounder also had two opportunities to bat, finishing not out in both innings—against Delhi Capitals and RCB.
