Mitchell Santner is a professional international cricketer who represents New Zealand and is also the captain of the New Zealand Cricket team in the T20 format. He made his ODI debut for New Zealand on 9 June 2015 and his T20I debut on 23 June 2015. He became the first player in cricket history to make his Test debut in a day-night Test match on 27 November 2015 and hit a boundary off the first ball of his Test career.
He captained New Zealand for the first time in T20 internationals in November 2020 against the West Indies. In 2022, he became New Zealand’s 24th ODI captain when he led the team against Scotland. During the 2023 ODI World Cup, his five-wicket haul against the Netherlands was the first by a New Zealand spinner in World Cup history.
Mitchell Santner Records and Achievements
In the 2016 ICC T20 World Cup, Mitchell Santner recorded figures of 4 for 11 against India, which remain the best bowling figures by a New Zealand spinner in T20 World Cup history. He was named Man of the Match in that game and was also included in the ICC, ESPNcricinfo, and Cricbuzz Teams of the Tournament for the 2016 T20 World Cup.
Santner and Jeetan Patel became the first pair of spinners to open the bowling in an ODI for New Zealand. In November 2019, he scored his maiden Test century against England. His 261-run partnership with BJ Watling became the highest seventh-wicket partnership for New Zealand in Test cricket.
In October 2024, he took match-winning figures of 7 for 53 and 6 for 104 in the second Test against India in Pune, helping New Zealand win a Test series in India for the first time. In December 2024, Santner was appointed New Zealand’s full-time captain for ODI and T20I formats.
Mitchell Santner Career Stats
Mitchell Santner has played 32 Test matches in his career. In Tests, he has taken 78 wickets, with his best bowling figures being 7 for 53. He has taken two five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket match. With the bat in Tests, he has scored 1085 runs, including one century and four half-centuries.
In One Day Internationals, Santner has played 124 matches and taken 133 wickets. His best ODI bowling figures are 5 wickets for 50 runs, and he has taken two five-wicket hauls. As a batsman in ODIs, he has scored 1580 runs, with three half-centuries.
So far in his T20 International career, Santner has picked up 131 wickets, and his best figures in T20Is are 4 for 11. With the bat in T20Is, he has scored 868 runs, including two fifties.
| Bowling | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Wkts | BBI | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| Tests | 32 | 78 | 7/53 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| ODIs | 124 | 133 | 5/50 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| T20Is | 123 | 131 | 4/11 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Batting | ||||||
| Format | Mat | Runs | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| Tests | 32 | 1085 | 1 | 4 | 120 | 32 |
| ODIs | 124 | 1580 | 0 | 3 | 115 | 50 |
| T20Is | 123 | 868 | 0 | 2 | 69 | 31 |
Mitchell Santner’s Personal Life
Mitchell Santner is known for his calm and relaxed nature, which has earned him the nickname “Flatline” among his teammates. He wears glasses off the field and studies mechanical engineering. He is also a very good golfer and has played at near-scratch level.
Santner began his cricket journey as a medium pacer before switching to spin at the age of 15 in Hamilton. He made his first-class debut for Northern Districts at 19 but took time to settle, stepping away from first-class cricket for over 18 months.
Off the field, Santner worked toward completing his mechanical engineering degree at Waikato University, studying complex subjects like spectroscopy and multivariable calculus.
Mitchell Santner Contract
Mitchell Santner is on a New Zealand Cricket central contract for the 2025–26 season. This confirms his place as a regularly contracted international player for New Zealand during this period.
In the IPL 2026 auction, Santner was retained by the Mumbai Indians for ₹2 crore. He also signed with Surrey in early 2025 for the English domestic season. During his time there, he took on a leadership role by captaining Surrey’s one-day team.
FAQs
Q. Is Mitchell Santner married?
A. Yes. Mitchell Santner is married to Caitlin Dodunski.
Q. Is Mitchell Santner an engineer?
A. Yes. Santner is a qualified mechanical engineer. He studied engineering at Waikato University while playing cricket.
Q. Why does Mitchell Santner wear glasses?
A. Santner wears glasses mainly while batting because they help him see the ball clearly due to astigmatism.
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