- Mitchell Santner becomes leading T20I wicket-taker against India. The New Zealand left-arm spinner dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel to surpass Ish Sodhi and become the most prolific T20I wicket-taker against India at Eden Park on October 30.
- Mitchell Santner becomes leading wicket-taker in T20I against India (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via ) Eden Park in Auckland witnessed a double slice of history on October 30 when Mitchell Santner took two wickets for 24 runs in the fourth T20I against India.
- The left-arm spinner removed Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel and took his tally against India to 32 wickets in 31 matches. In doing so, he surpassed Ish Sodhi’s previous best of 30 and became single-handedly the most prolific T20I wicket-taker against the team.
Mitchell Santner becomes leading T20I wicket-taker against India. The New Zealand left-arm spinner dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel to surpass Ish Sodhi and become the most prolific T20I wicket-taker against India at Eden Park on October 30.
Mitchell Santner becomes leading wicket-taker in T20I against India (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via ) Eden Park in Auckland witnessed a double slice of history on October 30 when Mitchell Santner took two wickets for 24 runs in the fourth T20I against India. The left-arm spinner removed Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel and took his tally against India to 32 wickets in 31 matches. In doing so, he surpassed Ish Sodhi’s previous best of 30 and became single-handedly the most prolific T20I wicket-taker against the team. During the same period, Santner totaled 151 T20I wickets, becoming only the third New Zealand bowler to cross the 150-wickets mark in the format and the first left-arm spinner in the world to reach this mark in T20 internationals.
Before this game, Santner had picked up 142 T20I wickets at an overall average of 23.09. His form during the five-match series was exceonal: nine wickets at an average of 11.22 in the series highlighted how he constantly troubled the Indian batters throughout the contest. His two best scores against India are both 4/11, which continue to be his best bowling figures against this opponent in T20Is.
New Zealand’s 87-run win gave New Zealand a 3-1 lead in the five-match series. Glenn Phillips hit 107 from 49 balls to secure the innings and Michael Bracewell added 65 from 25 balls to take the hosts to 259/7, their highest T20I total against India. In pursuit of this target, India were bowled out at 172/9 with Jacob Duffy taking four wickets and leading the home attack.
How does Santner’s record against India compare to other bowlers in other countries? A look at the all-time list of T20I wicket-takers against India shows how big the g has become between Santner and the others. His 32 wickets puts him far behind England’s Chris Jordan, who took 24 wickets against India in this format.
Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid, also from England, sit on 22 wickets each against India. Sodhi, whose mark of 30 has now been surpassed by Santner, was previously the leading wicket-taker among New Zealand bowlers against India. The breadth of this list, which includes bowlers from England, New Zealand and beyond, shows how Santner has outperformed his rivals in multiple series and in different conditions.
What does achieving 151 T20I wickets mean for Santner’s place in New Zealand cricket history? Santner’s arrival at 151 T20I wickets places him in a group of three New Zealand bowlers who have passed the 150-wicket mark in the format, a threshold that only two of his compatriots had previously reached. The added distinction of being the first left-arm spinner in the world to take 150 T20I wickets gives this milestone a significance that goes beyond purely New Zealand cricket.
Both records took place simultaneously on October 30 at Eden Park, meaning a single game in Auckland now represents a milestone in Santner’s international career.
