ENG vs NZ 2026: Mitchell Santner joins New Zealand squad prematurely with early rehab from IPL injury
Originally, he was not supposed to feature in the first Test of the away series, while Dean Foxcroft had been named. However, Santner's return has prompted an early departure for the young Foxcroft.
A fit-again Mitchell Santner has joined the New Zealand squad for the upcoming first Test of the three-match series against England, which gets underway on Thursday, June 04. Santner has recuperated from his grade-three ACL tear injury earlier than expected and has now reunited with the national side ahead of the all-important five-day fixture, which will be played at the historic venue of the Lord's Cricket Ground in London.
Santner had undergone an injury while representing the Mumbai Indians during the recent IPL, post which he was advised at least a month of rehabilitation. However, the all-rounder has recovered a week earlier. Originally, he was not supposed to feature in the first Test of the away series, while Dean Foxcroft had been given an opportunity to fill the void. However, Santner's return has prompted an early departure for the young Foxcroft, who impressed with 98 in the recent Test against Ireland in Belfast.
Santner's incoming is certainly quite welcoming for the visiting BlackCaps squad, as they have been looking to up their position on the World Test Championship 2025-27 points table. The recent Belfast Test was not a part of the WTC cycle, but it has surely helped the Kiwis get acclimatised to the European conditions. England, on the other hand, will be playing red-ball cricket for the first time since their Ashes drubbing down under.
The series will get underway with the first Test in London. The teams will stay back in London for the second Test, which will be played at the Kennington Oval. The third and final match of the series will be played at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
New Zealand's updated squad for England Tests 2026
Tom Latham (C & WK), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson, Zak Foulkes, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Will O'Rourke, Blair Tickner, and Mitchell Santner
New Zealand tour of England 2026: Full Schedule
| Match | Date (From) | Date (To) | Venue | Time (IST) |
| First Test | June 04 | June 08 | Lord's Cricket Ground, London | 3:30 PM |
| Second Test | June 17 | June 21 | The Kennington Oval, London | 3:30 PM |
| Third Test | June 25 | June 29 | Trent Bridge, Nottingham | 3:30 PM |
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