Mitchell Santner Makes T20I History with Four-Wicket Haul Against India

Santner's Historic Performance

In Christchurch, New Zealand, on October 24, Mitchell Santner, the captain of the New Zealand cricket team, achieved a remarkable milestone during the second T20I against India. He became the first bowler to record multiple four-wicket hauls against India in T20 internationals.

During the match, Santner's bowling significantly disrupted India's promising start in their chase of 181 runs, as he helped reduce them from 40 runs without loss to 112 for 6 in just 14.5 overs. His impressive bowling figures of 4 wickets for 21 runs came from four overs.

Santner's initial four-wicket haul against India occurred during the T20 World Cup in 2016 at Nagpur, where he took 4 wickets for 11 runs, aiding New Zealand in defending a total of 127 runs and dismissing India for a mere 79 runs.

Only three other spinners have achieved a four-wicket haul against India in T20Is: Wanindu Hasaranga from Sri Lanka (4/9 in Colombo, 2021), New Zealand's legendary Daniel Vettori (4/20 in Johannesburg, 2007 T20 World Cup), and Scotland's Gerhard Erasmus (4/20 in Delhi, 2026 T20 World Cup).

With this performance, Santner has entered the top 10 list of T20I wicket-takers, now tied with India's Arshdeep Singh, both having 148 wickets in 140 matches, with Santner boasting an average of 23.29 and an economy rate of 7.18. The leading wicket-taker in T20Is is Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, with 197 wickets in 118 matches.

In the match, India won the toss and opted to bowl first, quickly putting New Zealand in a tough spot at 41 for 3 during the powerplay. However, Glenn Phillips (70 runs off 46 balls, including four boundaries and sixes) and Bevon Jacobs (58 runs off 46 balls, with five fours and a six) mounted a recovery, forming a crucial 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket, leading New Zealand to a total of 180 for 5 in 20 overs.

Alongside Arshdeep's 2 wickets for 33 runs, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, and Nitish Kumar Reddy each contributed with a wicket.

While chasing the target of 181 runs, India faced a dramatic collapse, slipping from 40 without loss to 112 for 6, largely due to Santner's exceptional bowling. A brief resurgence came from Naman Dhir, who scored 31 runs off 17 balls, and it was Tilak (51 not out off 26 balls, with six fours and a six) and Nitish (26 not out off 13 balls, with a four and a six) who ultimately guided India to victory with just one ball remaining. India now leads the five-match series 2-0.