New Zealand cricket has announced Mitchell Santner as their white ball captain for the BLACKCAPS. He will be thus replacing Kiwi star Kane Williamson, who sidelined himself from the position during the ICC T20 World Cup in June. Santner represented New Zealand in 243 internationals and will lead the Kiwis in both the ODI and T20I sides. However, he has led the BLACKCAPS previously in 24 T20Is and four ODIs. Officially, Santner will start his captaincy reign in the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka in late December and early January. The two series mark the start of a packed schedule of white-ball cricket for the team, featuring an ODI Tri-Series in Pakistan this February, the ICC Champions Trophy, and a home T20I and ODI series against Pakistan to wrap up New Zealand's summer season. News | Mitchell Santner has been appointed the new BLACKCAPS white ball captain, officially taking over the role from Kane Williamson, who stepped down following the ICC T20 World Cup in June. #CricketNation https://t.co/nnMQJt5Q1R — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 17, 2024 Santner acknowledges captaincy as "huge honor" On receiving the captaincyon a full time basis, Santner considered himself humbled and said, “It's obviously a huge honour and a privilege to be asked. When you're a young kid the dream was always to play for New Zealand but to have the opportunity to officially lead my country in two formats is special. It’s a new challenge and I’m excited to get stuck into the important period of white ball cricket that we have ahead of us.” Santner, who has over 100 caps in both formats, is renowned as one of the top white-ball bowlers globally. He first led New Zealand in a T20I against West Indies in 2020 and became their 24th ODI captain in 2022 during a match against Scotland. Read also: IND vs AUS: Akash Deep’s humble apology to Travis Head steals the show Santner also expressed excitement about leading the team during its transition period- senior players near retirement and younger talents stepping up. BLACKCAPS head coach Gary Stead praised Santner’s calm demeanor, team-first attitude, and leadership skills, noting his experience captaining the T20 side and ODI team. Stead added that Tom Latham's focus would remain on Test captaincy, enabling Santner to lead the white-ball teams. NZC CEO Scott Weenink highlighted Santner's popularity and respect among teammates, calling him a natural choice for the role. With years of top performances, Santner’s experience is expected to guide the team effectively. The BLACKCAPS squads for the T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka, beginning December 28 at Bay Oval, will be announced on Monday.