White-ball captain Mitchell Santner‘s need for abdominal surgery after returning from the UK after playing for the Hundred Men’s 2025 has dealt a severe setback to New Zealand. His participation in the T20I series against Australia is in doubt because the recovery period is estimated to be about one month.
Rob Walter, the head coach of New Zealand, made a statement regarding the significance of Santner’s inclusion in the team.
He was optimistic that the bowling all-rounder would be ready to play Australia, even if he had not confirmed anything about when he will recover.
“From a skills and leadership perspective, Mitch is an essential member of our T20 team and a top-tier player. In light of this, we anticipate adding him to our team when we make the announcement in a few weeks. After that, we can evaluate how well he recovers from surgery and rests before making a decision on the eve of the series,” Walter said, as reported by Cricbuzz.
Finn Allen, Will O’Rourke, and Glenn Phillips’ injuries are also huge setbacks. Due to a groin injury that kept him out of the most recent Zimbabwe series, Phillips has had to prolong his recuperation. O’Rourke’s back suffered a stress fracture, so he will be going through a strength and conditioning program before being evaluated again. Allen will be out for three months after having surgery on his right foot, it has been revealed.
Walter sympathised with O’Rourke and said he was sure the tall pacer will return stronger and more focused. He also talked about how bad it was that Phillips and Allen weren’t on the squad. Walter clarified, nevertheless, the advantages of other players being given chances when the three aren’t there.
“We’re sending Will our best wishes for a quick recovery right now. Since his career has started off so well, it is understandably disheartening when an injury like this occurs, but he is a strong man who is committed to working hard and recovering. The loss of Glenn and Finn, who have recently played significant batting roles in our T20 setup, is regrettable. Similar to Zimbabwe, their absence will allow others to step up in what promises to be an extremely vital and thrilling series against Australia,” Walter continued.
There will soon be a series of white-ball matches in New Zealand. From October 1 to November 22, they will play three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against Australia, three T20Is and three ODIs against England, and five T20Is and three ODIs against the West Indies.
India
