Mitchell Santner sidelined for 'at least a month'

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.

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.