Mitchell Santner has revealed that he received only half of his payment for the Indian Premier League 2026 season, despite suffering injuries while playing for Mumbai Indians. The New Zealand all-rounder said shoulder injuries cut short his campaign and later sparked unfair accusations about his commitment.
Injury setbacks during short IPL run
Santner, who has represented New Zealand in 138 T20 internationals, joined Mumbai Indians for INR 20 million at the 2025 mega auction and stayed with the franchise for the 2026 season. However, he featured in only four matches during the recently concluded edition. During that time, he claimed five wickets and scored 26 runs. Unfortunately, he injured his right shoulder early in the tournament and later suffered a second injury to his left shoulder. As a result, the franchise ruled him out of the remainder of the competition.
Despite the setbacks, Santner said he rushed back quickly after the first injury. He added that he returned to action straight after travelling, even while managing personal responsibilities, including the birth of his second child. However, the second injury forced him to return home earlier than expected.
Accusations, recovery, and payment dispute
Following his early exit, some critics accused Santner of faking his injury to leave the IPL. He strongly denied those claims while speaking on the Grade Cricketer Podcast. Instead, he disclosed that Mumbai Indians paid him only half his contracted salary. Santner said the decision disappointed him, especially since he felt he put his body on the line.
Meanwhile, Santner recovered sooner than expected and earned selection for New Zealand’s upcoming Test series against England. Notably, IPL rules require franchises to pay full contracts if injuries occur during the tournament.
