New Zealand’s star all-rounder Mitchell Santner will undergo knee surgery later this month and it will keep him out of action for up to nine months.
Santner suffered discomfort during the limited overs series against England and had a scan, which revealed a bone defect. Further scans showed the injury had deteriorated and needed surgery that would keep him out for between six and nine months.
“On a personal level everyone feels for Mitchell,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said in a statement.
“He’s a popular guy in the changing room and he’s well respected for the work he puts in for the side. “Mitchell is a key player in all three formats for us, so we’ll certainly miss him in the upcoming series.
“It’s important though that he gets this fixed and we have him back for what is a big next 18 months for us,” Mike added.
With the injury, Santner will also miss the upcoming season of IPL for Chennai Super Kings. He was roped in by the Chennai franchise for his base price of Rs. 50 lakhs at the IPL auctions in January.
