PAK vs NZ: Mitchell Santner Infected With COVID-19, Ruled Out Of 1st T20I Against Pakistan

New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner has been sidelined for the opening T20I of the five-match series against Pakistan due to COVID-19. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has officially announced that Mitchell Santner will not travel with the team for the first game.

Earlier, New Zealand announced a full-strength squad for the home series, scheduled to commence at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, January 12. Mitchell Santner was also named as the captain for the third T20I match in the absence of skipper Kane Williamson.

Kane Williamson and Devon Conway are back in the New Zealand squad after being rested for the white-ball series against Bangladesh. However, young all-rounder Rachin Ravindra was not included, as he has been part of the national team since August last year.

Mitchell Santner Won’t Travel To Eden Park – New Zealand Cricket

New Zealand Cricket shared a significant update ahead of the first T20I match, stating that Mitchell Santner would undergo monitoring in the coming days and travel back to Hamilton due to testing positive for COVID.

Mitch Santner won’t travel to Eden Park this evening for the opening KFC T20I against Pakistan after testing positive for COVID earlier today. He will continue to be monitored over the coming days and will travel solo home to Hamilton. #NZvPAK

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) January 12, 2024

“Mitch Santner won’t travel to Eden Park this evening for the opening KFC T20I against Pakistan after testing positive for COVID earlier today. He will continue to be monitored over the coming days and will travel solo home to Hamilton.”

Following the positive test result, Santner has been isolating at the team hotel. He will travel separately for the second T20I, scheduled in Hamilton on Sunday, January 14. This is not the first time he has contracted the virus, as he had previously tested positive in 2022.

Also Read: “Virat Kohli Is Not Sir Viv Richards..”- Clive Lloyd

Mitchell Santner Impressed With Ball During ODI World Cup 2023

The left-arm all-rounder played a crucial role in New Zealand’s campaign during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. He secured 16 wickets in 10 matches with an economy of 4.84. Santner continued his impressive form with the ball into the recent series against Bangladesh.

The upcoming five-match T20I series against Pakistan serves as a crucial part of New Zealand’s preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Additionally, the Black Caps will engage in a three-match T20I series against Australia during a multi-format tour on home soil.

New Zealand Squad: Kane Williamson (c), Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.

Pakistan Squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Zaman Khan, Aamir Jamal, Azam Khan (wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah Khan (wk) and Abbas Afridi.

Also read: ENG vs NZ: Watch – Mitchell Santner Takes A Blinder To Give Trent Boult A Wicket On His Return To International Cricket