NZ vs PAK, 1st T20I: Micthell Santner Ruled Out After Testing Positive for COVID-19

Mitchell Santner, an all-rounder for New Zealand, will not play in the first Twenty20 International of the five-match series against Pakistan on Friday because he tested positive for COVID-19. There will be five T20Is between New Zealand and Pakistan. The first one will happen today at Auckland’s Eden Park.

The all-rounder got an infection, and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) told people about it on X (formerly Twitter). Mitch Santner will not be going to Eden Park this evening for the first KFC T20I against Pakistan because he tested positive for COVID earlier today. Over the next few days, he will continue to be watched, and he will journey home to Hamilton by himself. This is #NZvPAK, NZC wrote.

Santner is an important part of the Kiwi T20I team. He has scored 610 runs in 64 games, averaging 16.94, and has made one fifty. In 93 games, he has also got 105 wickets.

New Zealand Squad: Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Kane Williamson(c), Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Tim Seifert(w), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Ben Sears.
Pakistan Squad: Mohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi(c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Abrar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan, Abbas Afridi, Haseebullah Khan.