New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2026 after scans confirmed a grade-three acromioclavicular (AC) ligament injury in his left shoulder. The 34-year-old returned to New Zealand this week following the diagnosis and has been advised to rest for at least one month.
The injury ends Santner’s IPL season with the Mumbai Indians and puts his participation in upcoming Test matches in serious doubt, dealing a blow to both his franchise and national side at a critical time in the cricketing calendar.
How Santner Got Injured During IPL 2026
Santner suffered an injury to his left shoulder when he was fielding for the Mumbai Indians against the Chennai Super Kings on April 23. The injury occurred when he landed with a heavy blow after a catch. He also had some shoulder pain earlier in the tournament, when he was playing against the Delhi Capitals on April 4, which made him miss out on playing the Rajasthan Royals on April 7.
After coming back into action later in April, the incident of April 23 got more serious. In that match, Santner bowled his four overs, seizing one wicket for 44 runs, but did not come out to bat. He was replaced by Shardul Thakur in the batting lineup.
He had been slightly late joining the MI squad, having demanded more personal time after the T20 World Cup. Overall, Santner was able to play four matches with Mumbai Indians this season, scoring 26 runs in two innings and taking five wickets.
What the Injury Means for Mumbai Indians
Santner’s withdrawal takes away a reliable spin option and a useful lower-order batter from the Mumbai Indians line-up at a time when the franchise has been searching to find consistency. MI have contracted South African left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj to take the place for the rest of the tournament.
The franchise had already been handling other injury issues this season, such as the previously missing Atharva Ankolekar, and keeping a very close eye on the fitness of Rohit Sharma. The loss of Santner in the middle of the season contributes to such obstacles. Maharaj is a veteran international spinner and will be expected to fill a similar role, albeit with a tactical change that will require time.
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New Zealand Forced to Rethink Test Squad Plans
Beyond the IPL, the bigger concern for New Zealand Cricket is Santner’s unavailability for upcoming Test commitments. He will miss the one-off Test against Ireland starting May 27 and the first Test of the three-match World Test Championship series against England, which begins at Lord’s on June 4. His availability for the second and third England Tests will be reassessed closer to the time.
New Zealand currently sit second in the World Test Championship standings and are aiming to secure a place in the next WTC Final. Losing Santner — a proven spin-bowling all-rounder who offers control with the ball and depth with the bat — forces a reshuffle in team balance and potentially in leadership responsibilities for the Test side.
A full squad for the Ireland and England Test series is expected to be announced in the coming days.
On the white-ball side, Santner is expected to be fit in time to lead New Zealand on their tour of the West Indies in July, which includes ODIs and T20Is. His return to the Test setup will depend on how his rehabilitation progresses over the next few weeks.
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