New Zealand's white-ball captain, Mitchell Santner, has been sidelined from the cricket field for at least a month due to a severe shoulder injury (a Grade 3 ACL injury). Confirming the injury on Friday, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced that he will be unavailable for the upcoming Test against Ireland and the first Test match against England.
Injury Sustained During the IPL
Santner sustained this injury on April 23 while fielding for the Mumbai Indians during an IPL match played against the Chennai Super Kings. While attempting to take a catch, his shoulder collided with the ground, and he also suffered a blow to the head. At the time, the Mumbai Indians brought in Shardul Thakur as his concussion replacement. Later, he was seen in the dressing room with an ice pack applied to his shoulder.
Replacement at Mumbai Indians
Following the injury, Santner returned home, and the Mumbai Indians signed South African spinner Keshav Maharaj as his replacement. Maharaj has joined the Mumbai squad for a fee of ₹75 lakh. Upon his arrival in New Zealand, consultations with medical specialists and fresh scans revealed the severity of the shoulder injury.
New Zealand's Upcoming Schedule
New Zealand is scheduled to play a solitary Test match against Ireland starting May 27. This will be followed by a three-match Test series against England, commencing on June 4 at Lord's. Although Santner is ruled out of the first Test, he is expected to make a return in time for the ODI and T20I series against the West Indies in July.
