New Zealand vs West Indies Preview | Decisive 3rd T20I in Nelson to go ahead in series
The third T20I of the West Indies tour of New Zealand is set to take place at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Sunday, promising yet another thrilling game in the series. Both sides have won a game each, with the third set to test the depth, form, and adaptability of players in fast-paced conditions.
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International career
Mitchell Josef Santner was born on 5 February 1992. He plays international cricket for New Zealand and is the current captain of the national team in one-day and T20 matches.
2015
- Named in New Zealand’s squad for the England tour in April.
- Made ODI debut on June 9 vs England at Birmingham. Took his first international wicket – Sam Billings.
- Hit 28 runs in one over off Adil Rashid during the 4th ODI.
- Made T20I debut on June 23 vs England at Manchester.
- Played the first Test match on November 27 vs Australia in Adelaide – the first-ever day/night Test. Hit a four off his first ball.
2016
- Picked for the T20 World Cup in India.
- Took 4 wickets for 11 runs against India and was named Man of the Match.
- Named in the Team of the Tournament by ICC, ESPNcricinfo, and Cricbuzz.
- Along with Jeetan Patel, he opened the bowling as a spin pair in an ODI match.
2017
- Continued to play regularly in all formats, especially in white-ball cricket.
2018
- Bowled Fakhar Zaman with a carrom ball on January 16.
- Missed Test series vs England in March due to knee injury; ruled out for 6–9 months.
- Could not play IPL and English county season due to injury.
- In May, got a national contract for 2018–19.
2019
- Returned in January vs Sri Lanka (T20I) and later played ODIs vs India and Bangladesh.
- Included in New Zealand’s squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
- In November, scored his first Test hundred vs England at Bay Oval.
- Shared a 261-run partnership with BJ Watling – highest for New Zealand’s 7th wicket in Tests.
- Took 3 wickets in the second innings of the same match.
2020
- On November 30, captained New Zealand in a T20I vs West Indies at Bay Oval.
2021
- Selected for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad in August.
2022
- Led New Zealand in an ODI vs Scotland in Edinburgh, becoming the 24th ODI captain.
2023
- Took 5 wickets vs Netherlands in the World Cup group stage – first 5-wicket haul by a New Zealand spinner in a World Cup match.
2024
- Captained New Zealand in T20Is vs Australia in February.
- Named in the squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in May.
- In October, helped New Zealand win a Test series in India for the first time. Took 7 for 53 and 6 for 104 in the second Test at Pune.
- In December, announced as New Zealand's full-time white-ball captain at age 32, replacing Kane Williamson. His first series in charge was against Sri Lanka. Tom Latham continued as Test captain.
2025
- On January 2, played the latest T20I vs Sri Lanka at Nelson.
- On March 9, played the last ODI vs India in Dubai (DICS).
- Led New Zealand in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where the team finished second after losing to India in the final.
- On December 17, played the most recent Test vs England at Hamilton.
Leagues Participation
Mitchell Santner has played in different T20 leagues around the world. He joined the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League and played several seasons with them. In England, he took part in The Hundred. He also played in the Caribbean Premier League and Major League Cricket in the USA.
Indian Premier League
Mitchell Santner was picked by Chennai Super Kings in 2018 for ₹50 lakhs but didn’t play that year due to a knee injury that needed surgery. He made his debut in 2019 and played several seasons for CSK, including the title-winning campaign in 2023. In the 2025 IPL Mega Auction, he was signed by the Mumbai Indians for ₹2 crore.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings | Bought for ₹50 lakhs but missed the season due to injury |
| 2019 | Chennai Super Kings | Made IPL debut, hit a winning six vs the Rajasthan Royals |
| 2020 | Chennai Super Kings | Retained |
| 2021 | Chennai Super Kings | Retained |
| 2022 | Chennai Super Kings | Bought again at auction |
| 2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Part of the IPL-winning squad |
| 2024 | Chennai Super Kings | Continued with the team |
| 2025 | Mumbai Indians | Bought for ₹2 crore in the IPL Mega Auction |
Men's Hundred
Mitchell Santner, a cricketer from New Zealand, played in the Hundred competition in England. In the 2024 season, he represented Northern Superchargers. Earlier reports had linked him with Southern Brave, but he officially featured for the Superchargers in that edition.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2024 | Northern Superchargers | Played in The Hundred as an overseas player |
Major League Cricket
Mitchell Santner joined the Texas Super Kings in June 2023 for the first season of Major League Cricket. During a match against SFU, he took a remarkable catch near the boundary in the final over. In the 2024 season, he remained with the Texas Super Kings and hit a six onto the roof of Grand Prairie Stadium during a match against the Seattle Orcas.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2023 | Texas Super Kings | Took a stunning boundary catch vs SFU in the 20th over |
| 2024 | Texas Super Kings | Hit a six onto the roof vs Seattle Orcas at Grand Prairie Stadium |
Caribbean Premier League
Mitchell Santner played for the Barbados Tridents in the 2020 Caribbean Premier League. In one match, he earned the Player of the Match award after taking two wickets and scoring 20 runs off 18 balls.
| Year | Team | Notes |
| 2020 | Barbados Tridents | Player of the Match for 2 wickets and 20 runs off 18 balls |
Domestic career
Mitchell Santner plays domestic cricket mainly for Northern Districts. He is a bowling all-rounder who bats left-handed and bowls slow left-arm spin. He started playing first-class cricket in November 2011 and made his List A debut in March 2014. After a strong 2014–15 season, he was picked for New Zealand’s one-day team during their England tour. At that time, he had only played 19 List A matches but impressed with a score of 94 against Somerset and made his ODI debut at Edgbaston.
Besides the Northern Districts, Santner has played for several teams in different leagues. He joined Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Worcestershire in England, Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League, Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket, and Southern Brave in The Hundred. In 2025, he played in the Vitality Blast for Surrey and was expected to participate in many group matches and the playoffs if the team qualified. This shows how he has adapted to different formats and teams around the world.
Records and achievements
Mitchell Santner is a New Zealand cricketer who plays Tests and ODIs. He made his Test debut in November 2015 against India and scored a boundary off the very first ball he faced. In 2018, he was part of New Zealand’s squad for the ICC World Cup in England. He has played domestic cricket mainly for Central Districts and Auckland, and signed with Hampshire County Cricket Club in 2018, scoring 145 not out in a List A match that year. Here are some of his key achievements:
- In 2015, hit a boundary on the first ball he faced in Test cricket.
- In 2016, he was named in the Team of the Tournament for the T20 World Cup by ICC, ESPNcricinfo, and Cricbuzz.
- In 2018, scored 145 not out in a List A game for Hampshire, with a batting average of 52.68 between 2016 and 2018.
- In 2023, took the first five-wicket haul by a New Zealand spinner in a World Cup match.
- Has scored more than 1000 runs and taken 100 wickets in ODIs.
- Holds the 6th highest number of wickets in T20 International cricket with 111 wickets.
These records show how important Santner has been for New Zealand as an all-round player.
Personal life
Mitchell Santner lives in Hamilton, New Zealand. He went to Hamilton Boys' High School before starting his cricket career. Alongside his sports life, he has built a personal life with family and other interests.
Family
Santner got engaged in 2021 and now has a daughter named Izzie Esme Santner. He keeps his family life private but sometimes shares moments with fans.
Finance
By the end of 2023, Santner’s net worth was around 7 million US dollars. This comes from his IPL salary, endorsements, and other income. He is also active on social media and gained attention as a team captain.
Cars and House
Santner owns a Lexus NX SUV from a Japanese car maker and has ties with Lexus of Hamilton. He lives in Hamilton, New Zealand.
Scandals
In 2019, some talked about a catch Santner made to get Jos Buttler out in a Test match, but replays showed he was outside the playing area because he went into the crowd for autographs. In 2024, Santner said he was surprised after dismissing Virat Kohli in a Test because Kohli missed a full ball he didn’t expect to miss.
Fans
Santner has around 430,000 followers on Instagram.