New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner is sidelined for a month with a severe shoulder injury, missing key Tests against Ireland and England while undergoing urgent recovery.
AUCKLAND
New Zealand’s cricket captain, Mitchell Santner, has been sidelined for at least a month following a serious shoulder injury. Scans revealed a grade three ACL injury in his left shoulder, a major blow for both the player and his national squad.
The injury happened while Santner was playing in India for the Mumbai Indians. During a high-stakes match against Chennai, the all-rounder hurt himself while fielding. He was seen in the dugout using an ice pack as his team brought in a substitute player. This was not his first struggle this season, as he had been dealing with pain in that same shoulder since early April. Despite trying to play through the discomfort in several matches, the final blow came during the game against Chennai, forcing him to fly home.
The Mumbai Indians have already moved on, signing South African spinner Keshav Maharaj to take his spot. However, the bigger concern lies with the New Zealand national team. Santner is now officially ruled out of the upcoming Test match against Ireland and the opening Test against England in June.
Doctors in Auckland have ordered a strict period of rest and physical therapy. While he hopes to return for the later matches in the England series, his fitness will be checked weekly. For now, the star spinner faces a race against time to get healthy before New Zealand’s tour of the West Indies begins this July. Fans are wishing the captain a very speedy recovery.
