Spin bowler Mitchell Santner has been appointed New Zealand’s captain for both white-ball formats, filling a six-month vacancy after Kane Williamson stepped down.
Santner, 32, who has represented New Zealand in 107 ODIs and 106 T20Is, will begin his captaincy tenure with a three-match home ODI series against Sri Lanka starting December 28.
Having already led New Zealand in 28 white-ball matches as a stand-in, Santner described his full-time appointment as a “huge honour.”
“As a kid, the dream was always to play for New Zealand, but getting the chance to officially lead my country in two formats is something truly special,” he said. “It’s a new challenge, and I’m excited to dive into the important white-ball cricket we have ahead.”
Mitchell Santner ready to return to NZ squad for England clash!
New Zealand coach Gary Stead praised Santner’s “calm and collected” leadership style, noting that the move allows Tom Latham to focus solely on his role as full-time Test captain.
“Tom has been doing a fantastic job leading the Test side since October, and we want him to dedicate his energy and time to that role,” Stead said.
Santner’s appointment comes fresh off his standout performance in New Zealand’s 423-run victory over England in the third Test in Hamilton, where he was named player of the match. He claimed seven wickets and contributed crucial scores of 76 and 49 with the bat.
