IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Mitchell Santner surpasses Ish Sodhi to become New Zealand’s most capped player

New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner (AP) New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner added another milestone to his illustrious international career on Sunday, becoming the most capped player in the country’s men’s T20I history. The left-arm spinner reached the landmark during the fifth and final T20I against India at Seddon Park in Hamilton, making his 143rd appearance in the shortest format.Santner surpassed colleague Ish Sodhi, who previously held the record with 142 appearances for the Black Caps. After making his T20I debut in 2015, the 34-year-old reached the milestone after more than a decade representing New Zealand in international cricket.

Santner has overtaken Ish Sodhi to top New Zealand’s T20I appearances chart

Santner now leads the list of most capped T20Is for New Zealand, followed by Sodhi with 142 matches. Former fast bowler Tim Southee occupies the third position with 126 matches, while former opener Martin Guptill is fourth with 122 matches. Daryl Mitchell completes the top five with 109 T20I appearances.The New Zealand captain has been a consistent contributor with both bat and ball in the shortest format. Santner scored 1,117 runs at an average of 20.30 in his 143 T20I appearances, including a top score of 77 not out. He took 151 wickets with the ball at an average of 23.09, with best figures of 4/11.

Santner became the third New Zealand bowler to reach 150 T20I wickets

Santner recently achieved another major milestone, becoming only the third New Zealand bowler to take 150 wickets in men’s T20Is. He did it during the fourth T20I against India on Friday, returning to 2/24 in his four overs. He dismissed Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy during the contest.However, his record 143rd appearance did not bring another goal. Santner went wicketless in his four overs in Hamilton, conceding 39 runs during the Indian innings.