New Zealand appoint Mitchell Santner as full-time white-ball captain

Mitchell Santner has been officially announced as the new white-ball captain of New Zealand. He replaces Kane Williamson, who relinquished the role after New Zealand's dismal campaign in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Santner has the experience of playing 30 Tests, 107 ODIs, and 106 T20Is in his career. He has been New Zealand's interim captain during many tours in recent years. The left-arm spinner has led the Kiwis in 24 T20Is and four ODIs.

The 32-year-old all-rounder will officially kick-start his full-time captaincy tenure in the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka in late December and early January. New Zealand play a lot of white-ball cricket in the coming months and Santner will want to help his team make a mark against some of the best teams in the world.

There is an ODI tri-series in Pakistan in February, followed by the ICC Champions Trophy and a home T20I and ODI series against Pakistan to conclude the New Zealand home summer.

Santner said that it is a massive honour for him to lead the Blackcaps in the white-ball format. He asserted that he is excited about the challenges ahead.

“It's obviously a huge honour and a privilege to be asked. When you're a young kid the dream was always to play for New Zealand but to have the opportunity to officially lead my country in two formats is special. It’s a new challenge and I’m excited to get stuck into the important period of white-ball cricket that we have ahead of us," Santner told New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

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Santner starts his captaincy tenure in a tricky phase for New Zealand cricket as they are on the verge of going through a transition period. Many of the senior players are at the twilight of their careers and he hopes that the youngsters will grab the opportunities that come their way.

“There’s obviously a little bit of a changing of the guard with some of our experienced players at the back end of their careers. I think that’s exciting for the remainder of the group and the young players to now take on the challenge and drive this team forward to further success," Santner stated.

Meanwhile, New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said that Santner's calm demeanour and the respect he has earned in the dressing room will stand him in good stead in his new role.

“Mitch is a fantastic team man and leads by example in all facets of the game. He’s an incredibly calm and collected personality and he has a huge amount of respect in the changing room, which will serve him well," Stead said.

“He’s had plenty of experience leading the T20 side and did a good job when he captained the ODI team last month, so he already has a good understanding of what it means to lead the team. I’m sure Mitch will also bring his own ideas and style of leadership to the role," he added.