New Zealand’s white-ball captain Mitchell Santner is expected to miss at least a month of action after suffering a grade three ACL shoulder injury during IPL duties. The spin-bowling all-rounder picked up the problem while playing for his side in the league earlier this month and will now undergo a period of rest and rehabilitation.
Key takeaways
- Mitchell Santner has been ruled out for a minimum of one month following a grade three ACL shoulder injury.
- The injury occurred to his left shoulder during the Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings match on April 23.
- Santner has returned to New Zealand and consulted a specialist, who advised rest and rehab for at least a month.
- He will miss the one-off Test versus Ireland and the opening Test of the England tour.
- His participation in the second and third Tests against England will be assessed later.
Injury details and immediate impact
The 34-year-old sustained the shoulder injury while fielding in the IPL game between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings on April 23. After returning home to New Zealand this week, Santner met a specialist on Friday, who confirmed that he would require a rest-and-rehabilitation phase lasting at least a month.
In the incident, Santner made a strong diving effort to take a catch to dismiss CSK batter Kartik Sharma off Jasprit Bumrah. However, as he landed, he impacted both his shoulder and his head on the ground, leading to the diagnosis that sidelines him from immediate international commitments.
Tests schedule: Ireland and England
With the shoulder problem ruling him out, Santner will be unavailable for the one-off four-day Test against Ireland, as well as the first Test against England.
The Ireland match starts at Stormont in Belfast on May 27. The three Tests against England are set to take place at Lord’s from June 4 to June 8, The Oval from June 17 to June 21, and Trent Bridge from June 25 to June 29. New Zealand Cricket added that Santner’s availability for the second and third Tests against England will be reviewed at a later stage.
