New Zealand faces a significant challenge ahead of their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 match against Canada on February 17, as star spinner Mitchell Santner has been ruled out due to illness. With the Kiwis collecting four points from their first three matches, a victory against Canada is crucial for their chances to advance to the Super 8 stage. A loss could lead to elimination, depending on the outcomes of other fixtures.
In Santner’s absence, Daryl Mitchell will captain the side, stepping in as a leader during this critical match. Adding to the team’s woes, quick bowler Lockie Ferguson is also unavailable as he has returned to New Zealand to support his wife, who is expecting their first child.
New Zealand commenced their T20 World Cup campaign positively, securing wins against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates. However, their fortunes took a turn when they were defeated by South Africa, which adversely affected their net run rate and jeopardized their progression to the next round.
“Mitchell had a difficult night after a questionable burger, but we’re hopeful he’ll recover quickly. Cole McConchie is stepping in for him, and Kyle Jamieson has taken Ferguson’s place in the lineup,” Daryl Mitchell noted.
The match got underway with Canada’s captain, Dilpreet Bajwa, winning the toss and opting to bat first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The playing XIs for the match are as follows:
Canada: Yuvraj Samra, Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Navneet Dhaliwal, Harsh Thaker, Nicholas Kirton, Shreyas Movva (wk), Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Dilon Heyliger, Jaskaran Singh, Ansh Patel
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell (c), Cole McConchie, James Neesham, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy
With the stakes high, both teams will be eager to showcase their skills and secure a crucial win in this tournament.