The Mumbai Indians IPL 2026 season ended for Mitchell Santner with disappointing results. The setback will have effects which extend beyond the main tournament itself. The New Zealand all-rounder will miss vital Test matches which include World Test Championship (WTC) matches because doctors found a serious shoulder injury through their tests. Santner will require at least one month of recovery time after he sustained a grade three ACL injury in his left shoulder while playing for the underperforming Mumbai Indians team during the current season. He suffered the injury during MI’s match against Chennai Super Kings on April 23. He completed his full overs for that match while showing bowling statistics of 1 wicket and 44 runs, but he did not go to bat. Shardul Thakur replaced him, leaving many fans confused before reports confirmed Santner had suffered a concussion. The 34-year-old had a limited role this season, playing only four matches for MI after joining the squad late. He played two innings and reached 26 runs while achieving five wickets at an economy rate of 8.92 during his appearances. The previous season, he had a more consistent performance because he participated in 13 games and achieved 10 wickets with a 7.92 economy rate. Many expected Santner to play a bigger role this year. The bowling unit of Mumbai has experienced severe problems which have affected the team's balance. Allah Ghazanfar has been one of the few bright spots. Santner returned to New Zealand for medical evaluation and New Zealand Cricket announced he will start his rehabilitation process. The player will be unavailable for two upcoming matches which include the Test match against Ireland and the first Test with England at Lord's. His availability for the remaining matches remains unclear. New Zealand’s upcoming Test schedule: Date Match Venue May 27–30 vs Ireland (Only Test) (Non WTC) Belfast June 4–8 vs England (1st Test) Lord’s, London June 17–21 vs England (2nd Test) The Oval, London June 25–29 vs England (3rd Test) Trent Bridge, Nottingham Also Read | RR vs DC Match 43 Result: Who Won Yesterday’s IPL Match? Full Highlights & Awards The timing for New Zealand creates a significant problem because they have a crowded red-ball schedule upcoming. Santner missed the Bangladesh white-ball tour because of his IPL commitments and he must now quickly recover his strength to compete in the upcoming matches against England. New Zealand received positive news about their situation despite their setback. Santner will probably make a full recovery before the white-ball tour of the West Indies in July which he will lead as captain for the shorter formats.