Mitchell Santner joins New Zealand for 1st Test vs England after injury in IPL 2026, All-rounder with 98 on debut sent back

Sports Tak

UPDATED: May 31, 2026 10:15 AM IST

Sports Tak•

UPDATED: May 31, 2026 10:15 AM IST

New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner plays a shot; Dean Foxcroft attempts a shot on Test debut against Ireland.

Story Highlights:

Dean Foxcroft who scored 98 on Test debut against Ireland has been sent home.

Mitchell Santner has joined New Zealand squad days ahead of 1st Test against England at Lord's.

New Zealand’s spin-bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner is set to join the squad for the first Test against England at the Lord's, starting on June 4. Santner has returned to the squad after recovering from a shoulder injury sustained during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 while playing for Mumbai Indians (MI).

“Santner has been in New Zealand rehabilitating a shoulder injury sustained in the IPL and arrives in England on Saturday, 30 May, and will train with the squad ahead of the first Test,” the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said in a statement.

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“Santner's return to the squad means all-rounder Dean Foxcronft will return home to New Zealand,” the BlackCaps added.

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Foxcroft’s impressive Test debut

In-form all-rounder Dean Foxcroft recently made his Test debut against Ireland. In the one-off Test, he missed his century by just two runs. In seaming conditions he bowled just one over in Ireland's first innings. Foxcroft had scored 98 runs from 129 deliveries, including six fours and a six. New Zealand won the game by an innings and 79 runs in Belfast.

Santner’s Test record vs England

Santner has played four Tests against England and claimed 11 wickets at an average of 29.54. From five innings, he has 274 runs at an average of 54.80, including a century and a fifty. His Test century against England came in home Test in 2019.

New Zealand’s updated Test squad for England tour:

Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young, Ben Sears (traveling reserve).

Where are New Zealand in WTC 2027 final race?

In the current cycle, the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) winners are placed second on the points table, just below reigning champions Australia. From three Tests, New Zealand have two wins and a draw, amounting to a win percentage of 77.78. They had registered a 2-0 series win over West Indies in December 2025.

On the other hand, their opponents are languishing at at the seventh place with only three wins from 10 Tests.