NEW DELHI: In a setback for the New Zealand cricket team, all-rounder Mitchell Santner has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the first T20I of the upcoming five-match series against Pakistan.
The opening match of the series is scheduled to take place on Friday at Auckland's Eden Park.
Scorecard: New Zealand vs Pakistan, 1st T20I
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Mitch Santner won't travel to Eden Park this evening for the opening KFC T20I against Pakistan after testing positive for COVID earlier today. He will continue to be monitored over the coming days and will travel solo home to Hamilton. #NZvPAK."
Santner, a vital member of the Kiwi T20I squad, boasts an impressive record with 610 runs in 64 innings at an average of 16.94, along with one half-century. He has also been a consistent performer with the ball, having taken 105 wickets in 93 matches.
The news of Santner's absence will force the New Zealand team to make adjustments to their playing XI for the first T20I.
As the series unfolds, New Zealand will aim to overcome this setback and deliver strong performances against Pakistan in the T20I series, seeking to build momentum in the shorter format of the game.
New Zealand Squad: Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Kane Williamson(c), Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Tim Seifert(w), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Ben Sears.
Pakistan Squad: Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi(c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Abrar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan, Abbas Afridi, Haseebullah Khan.
(With inputs from ANI)
