Mitchell Santner, the all-rounder from New Zealand, has been a member of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) since the five-time champion purchased him for INR 50 lakh during the 2018 tournament’s auction. However, in the six seasons that followed, Santner has only appeared in 16 games for the Yellow Army. Mitchell Santner expressed his frustration at having to sit out the majority of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Santner’s IPL debut came in 2019 against RR at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, following his exclusion from the competition in 2018. He has amassed 67 runs at an average of 16.75 and claimed 14 wickets at an economy rate of 6.69 in the IPL. Santner expressed his desire to remain focused on the game while he waits for his opportunities. This Kiwi spinner is a stand-out and ace for Chennai and has always been the performer wherever required
Santner has only participated in one game in 2024, which was on May 5 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala against PBKS. He finished with remarkable figures of 3-0-10-1, taking Shashank Singh by the wicket. Even if he has opportunities in a few games, the 32-year-old stated that he does not want to let his team down. After competing in the IPL, Santner now has more responsibilities as New Zealand takes on Afghanistan at Providence Stadium in Guyana on Friday, June 7, to kick off their T20 World Cup campaign.
I think it’s trying to stay focused if you are not playing—Mitchell Santner
The Chennai Super Kings,’ left arm, Mitchell Santner, stated on the team’s official website that “sitting on a bench gets boring and frustrates me a lot, but I try to stay focused all the time because it keeps me mentally fit and also helps to guide people inside the game or share some important words in the training session.
“Yeah, I guess that’s the challenge of not playing all the time. It might be frustrating at times but I think it’s trying to stay focused if you are not playing. What I try to do is help the other boys out, whether it’s at training or during the game, and even have conversations with people,” said Mitchell Santner