Mitchell Santner Suffers Severe ACL Injury During IPL 2026
New Zealand cricketer Mitchell Santner has been diagnosed with a grade-three ACL tear after sustaining an injury to his left shoulder while fielding during a match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The talented all-rounder was playing for the Mumbai Indians when he dislocated his shoulder during a game against the Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on April 23. This incident led to his immediate substitution from the match.
The injury has significantly impacted Santner’s participation in the high-profile T20 tournament. It has also affected his international commitments with the New Zealand national team, known as the Black Caps. As a result, Santner will not be participating in the upcoming one-off Test against Ireland. However, there is a possibility that he might return for the latter part of the series against England.
Santner returned to New Zealand this week and consulted a specialist who confirmed that he would need a rest and rehabilitation period of at least one month. According to a statement from New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Friday, May 01, this diagnosis means Santner is unavailable for the one-off Test against Ireland and the first Test against England. His availability for the second and third Tests will be evaluated at a later date.
Impact on Mumbai Indians’ Squad
In the meantime, the Mumbai Indians have already found a replacement for Santner for the remainder of the IPL season. They have brought in South African spinner Keshav Maharaj to fill the gap. Maharaj has joined the MI squad but has not yet played in a match.
This is not the first time that the Mumbai franchise has faced injuries this season. They have also lost Atharva Ankolekar, and Rohit Sharma is currently recovering from a strain. While there are hopes that Rohit might be back for MI’s next game against Chennai Super Kings in Match 44, scheduled for Saturday, May 02, in Chennai, the franchise has not provided any official updates on his status yet.
Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 Squad
Here is the current list of players in the Mumbai Indians’ squad for IPL 2026:
- Shardul Thakur
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Mayank Markande
- AM Ghazanfar
- Ashwani Kumar
- Corbin Bosch
- Deepak Chahar
- Hardik Pandya
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Mitchell Santner
- Naman Dhir
- Raghu Sharma
- Raj Bawa
- Robin Minz
- Rohit Sharma
- Ryan Rickelton
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Tilak Varma
- Trent Boult
- Will Jacks
- Quinton de Kock
- Danish Malewar
- Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar
- Atharva Ankolekar
- Mayank Rawat
Looking Ahead
With Santner out of action, the Mumbai Indians will need to rely on their remaining squad members to perform well in the remaining matches of the IPL 2026 season. The team will also be hoping for the return of key players like Rohit Sharma to strengthen their chances of success in the tournament.
As the season progresses, fans will be closely watching how the team adapts to these challenges and whether they can maintain their position in the league table. The performance of new additions like Keshav Maharaj will be crucial in determining the team’s overall success in the coming weeks.
