Birthday special: Mitchell Santner – One of NZ’s unsung heroes
Mitchell Santner has been an asset for the New Zealand side throughout his cricketing career but has always been underrated, and has not got the attention and recognition that he has deserved. He is a bowler who can bowl tight lines and can also scalp wickets when the situation demands him to do so. He can also come in and score crucial runs with the bat.
He has produced a superb performance with the ball in the 2019 World Cup semifinal against India. Even though India lost their first three wickets with just 5 runs on the board, in pursuit of 240, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja had come together and kept India in the game with a fighting stand.
But, Santner came in and increased the pressure in the middle overs. In the semifinal, Santner bowled 10 overs, leaked just 34 runs and picked up the two crucial wickets of Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya.
Santner had also proven to be the nemesis of the Indian side with the ball in the 2016 T20 World Cup. In a superb 4-over spell, the left-arm spinner picked up four wickets and gave away just 11 runs to rattle the Indian batting lineup. Even though India were set a target of 127, they were bowled out for just 79, as Santner weaved his magic with the ball and also bagged the Player of the Match award.
Santner is not just useful with the ball; he can also come in and rattle the opposition with the bat as well. Santner’s ability with the bat was on display just a week ago, on 29th January 2022, in the contest between the Northern Districts and Canterbury side when he scored a blistering 92* off just 40 deliveries and enabled his side to post 217/5 on the board. His enterprising knock allowed his side to hammer the Canterbury outfit by 56 runs.
Yes, Santner is a bowler who can bowl tight lines, and at the same time come in and score vital runs for his side, and he is an asset for whichever side he plays for. Here is wishing Santner a happy 30th birthday.