3 reasons why CSK must play Mitchell Santner in their starting XI in IPL 2024

New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner turned 32 on February 5, 2024, and his rise in the sport over the years has been a treat to watch. Although he has been a consistent all-format player for New Zealand as well as the franchises he represents in the T20 landscape, he has struggled to shed the underrated tag off his back.

Santner, apart from his reliable left-arm spin bowling, is a handy batter down the order and contributes to the field with his electric fielding. He makes up for his lack of variations with excellent alteration in bowling speeds, which always leaves the batters guessing.

He has managed to make sporadic appearances for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) since the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has found it hard to cement his place in the playing XI, with Ravindra Jadeja establishing himself as the chief left-arm all-rounder in the squad, as well as the four overseas players ruling.

CSK have always been able to rely on Santner's services, and he is arguably one of the best backup players on the bench out of all IPL franchise rosters. Despite making only three appearances in the 2023 edition, there may be scope for Santner to have a longer run in the playing XI in the upcoming 2024 edition, considering the landmark last 12 months he had.

On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why CSK must play Mitchell Santner in their starting XI in IPL 2024.

---

#1 Can exploit conditions at the Chepauk better than Theekshana

It is a well-known fact that the conditions at the M Chidambaram Stadium are tailor-made for spin bowling, and CSK have usually gone with a three-spinner formula in such conditions. In the recent past, Ravindra Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana have led the spin attack, with all-rounder Moeen Ali chipping in with some crucial overs as well, if and when required.

With spinners definitely having a say on the Chepauk surface, and Maheesh Theekshana relying on variations and not being the biggest turner of the ball, CSK can definitely test out Mitchell Santner on a more consistent basis.

The left-arm spinner provides more revs on the ball along with outfoxing batters with speed, both traits which are handy in Chepauk, and something which are not in Theekshana's arsenal.

While the Sri Lankan spinner brings his own set of credible attributes to the table such as the ability to bowl with the new ball and his trademark variations, compared with Santner's style of bowling, it is quite obvious which will yield more impact.

---

#2 Provides batting depth which is always in demand

With three overseas slots in the CSK playing XI arguably set in stone in the form of Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana and either one of Moeen Ali and Daryl Mitchell, if Santner wants to feature in the team, it has to be toppling Maheesh Theekshana from the playing XI.

And the biggest factor that works in Santner's favor when it comes to competition with Theekshana is his batting ability. Even though CSK have decent batting depth, arguably bettered by Shardul Thakur's re-acquisition, they could still use Santner's handy skills with the bat.

CSK's imperious batting strength has meant that Santner has not had a lot to do. However, he showed his ability in just his second IPL match, where his three-ball cameo helped CSK secure a last-gasp win over the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

---

#3 Mitchell Santner's form and calibre deserves more game time

As mentioned earlier, he had a significant 2023, which included a prolific ODI World Cup campaign and a major captaincy stint for New Zealand in the shortest format as well. He was among the wickets for the national side in their series against Bangladesh, both home and away.

He had a brief setback in the form of a COVID infection, and had a relatively below-par set of performances in the Blackcaps' 4-1 series win over Pakistan. However, his numbers are bound to improve under conditions where he can thrive.

Furthermore, Theekshana's form is also something that needs to be kept an eye on. The mystery spinner was far from his best on the subcontinent during the 2023 ODI World Cup but followed it up with a solid home series against Zimbabwe. He is currently participating in the International League T20 (ILT20) for the Sharjah Warriors, where he has picked up 11 wickets in seven matches.

While it is rather neck-to-neck in terms of recent form, the conditions and attributes dictate that Santner starts ahead of Theekshana in the playing XI.

Will the all-rounder avail a consistent run of games during 2024 IPL? Let us know what you think.