‘Dodgy Burger’ Sidelines Santner as New Zealand Eyes Super 8s Berth
CHENNAI, India — New Zealand’s T20 World Cup campaign has hit a snag as captain Mitchell Santner is sidelined for their crucial match against Canada due to illness, reportedly stemming from a “dodgy burger.” The team confirmed the news on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, ahead of the Group D clash in Chennai.
Mitchell to Captain in Santner’s Absence
Daryl Mitchell will step in as captain for the match, with Cole McConchie taking Santner’s place in the playing XI. This is a like-for-like replacement, according to Mitchell. New Zealand is also without Lockie Ferguson, who has returned home for the birth of his first child, with Kyle Jamieson filling that spot.
Canada Wins the Toss, Elects to Bat
Canada captain Dilpreet Bajwa won the toss and elected to bat first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Bajwa stated the decision was influenced by the potential for spin to develop later in the day, hoping to set a challenging target for New Zealand. Canada made one change to their lineup, bringing in offspinner Shivam Sharma for left-arm seamer Kaleem Sana.
Super 8s Qualification on the Line
A win for New Zealand would secure their place in the Super 8s alongside South Africa. New Zealand has a record of two wins and one loss in Group D, having previously defeated Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates before falling to South Africa. Canada, yet, has lost both of its matches in the tournament and faces elimination with a defeat.
Team Lineups
Canada: 1. Dilpreet Bajwa (capt), 2. Yuvraj Samra, 3. Navneet Dhaliwal, 4. Nicholas Kirton, 5. Shreyas Movva (wk), 6. Harsh Thaker, 7. Saad Bin Zafar, 8. Jaskaran Singh, 9. Dilon Heyliger, 10. Shivam Sharma, 11. Ansh Patel
New Zealand: 1. Tim Seifert (wk), 2. Finn Allen, 3. Rachin Ravindra, 4. Glenn Phillips, 5. Daryl Mitchell (capt), 6. Mark Chapman, 7. Cole McConchie, 8. James Neesham, 9. Kyle Jamieson, 10. Matt Henry, 11. Jacob Duffy
Past Encounters
Even as this is the first T20 international between Canada and New Zealand, the Black Caps have won all three previous one-day international matches against their opponents.