Mitchell Santner is an accomplished all-rounder who represents the New Zealand national team in all formats of the game. Domestically, he plays for the Northern Districts cricket team and has been a consistent performer in the domestic circuit.

Santner's journey in cricket began at the grassroots level, where he honed his skills representing Northern Districts in age-group tournaments. His promising performances in the 2014-15 domestic season, which included impressive figures of 32 wickets and 474 runs, caught the attention of the national selectors, and he was elevated to the New Zealand team as they searched for a left-arm spin option following the retirement of Daniel Vettori after the 2015 World Cup.

Santner's international debut came in April 2015 when he was named in the New Zealand limited-overs squad for the tour of England. He made his One Day International (ODI) debut against England on 9 June 2015 at Edgbaston, claiming his first international wicket by dismissing fellow debutant Sam Billings for 3 runs. During the same series, he showcased his batting prowess, scoring 28 runs off a single over bowled by Adil Rashid, the second-highest runs scored off an over in England. A few days later, on 23 June 2015, he made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut at Old Trafford.

Santner's Test debut came on 27 November 2015 against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, becoming the first player in history to make their Test debut in a day-night Test match.

In the 2016 World T20 in India, Santner cemented his place as New Zealand's premier spin bowler, delivering impressive performances alongside Nathan McCullum. In the opening match against hosts India at Nagpur, Santner was awarded the Man of the Match for his brilliant bowling figures of 4/11, which remain the best bowling figures by a New Zealand spinner in World T20 history. His consistent performances, which included 8 wickets in the tournament, earned him a spot in the 'Team of the Tournament' by the ICC, ESPNcricinfo, and Cricbuzz.

Santner continued to make significant contributions to the New Zealand team. In 2017, during the ODI series against South Africa at Wanderers Stadium, he and Jeetan Patel became the first pair of spinners to open the bowling in an ODI for New Zealand.

In January 2018, during the fifth ODI against Pakistan in Wellington, he bowled a carrom ball to dismiss the dangerous Fakhar Zaman for 30, showcasing his ability to adapt and incorporate new variations into his repertoire.

Unfortunately, Santner's career was temporarily halted in March 2018 when he suffered a knee injury during the first Test against England at Eden Park, ruling him out of action for six to nine months. The injury forced him to miss the planned county stint with Derbyshire and the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

After recovering from his injury, Santner made his international comeback against Sri Lanka in January 2019, playing in the lone T20I at Eden Park and featuring in four of the five ODIs.

He was then named in New Zealand's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England, where he played a crucial role in the team's successful campaign, taking 7 wickets in 9 matches as the Kiwis reached the final.

Santner's IPL journey began in 2018 when he was bought by the Chennai Super Kings for ₹50 lakhs. However, his debut was delayed until the following year due to his knee injury. In 2019, playing for the Chennai Super Kings, Santner hit a six off the final ball against Ben Stokes to secure a thrilling 4-wicket victory against the Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

In November 2019, during the first Test against England at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, Santner achieved a significant milestone by scoring his maiden Test century. His innings of 126 runs, along with BJ Watling's 205, formed a 261-run partnership for the seventh wicket, becoming the highest-ever seventh-wicket partnership for New Zealand in Test cricket. Santner also took three wickets in the second innings, becoming the first New Zealand spinner to take a wicket on home soil since March 2018, ending a streak of 101 consecutive Test wickets in 11 innings that had fallen to seamers.

Santner's contributions to the New Zealand team have been recognized on the global stage. In August 2021, he was named in New Zealand's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where the team emerged victorious, with Santner playing a crucial role.

In February 2022, Santner was bought by the Chennai Super Kings once again in the IPL auction for the 2022 season. After winning the IPL with the Chennai Super Kings in June 2023, Santner joined their sister franchise, the Texas Super Kings, for the inaugural season of Major League Cricket in the United States.

In the group stage of the 2023 World Cup against the Netherlands, Santner achieved another milestone by becoming the first New Zealand spinner to take a five-wicket haul in a World Cup match.

Santner was appointed as the captain of the New Zealand T20I team for the series against Australia in February 2024, with regular skipper Tim Southee available for only the first game.

Santner's numbers in One Day International (ODI) cricket are equally impressive. In 90 ODIs for New Zealand, he has scored 1,274 runs at an average of 28.31, with his highest score being an unbeaten 73 against India in 2019. As a bowler, Santner has claimed 102 wickets in ODIs, with his best figures being 5/50 against Sri Lanka in 2019.

In the Twenty20 International (T20I) format, Santner has played 75 matches for New Zealand, scoring 503 runs at a strike rate of 107.51. His highest score in this format is an unbeaten 44 against Pakistan in 2018. With the ball, he has taken 79 wickets in T20Is, with his best figures being 4/11 against India in the 2016 T20 World Cup.

In first-class cricket, which includes domestic and multi-day formats, Santner has scored 3,143 runs at an average of 29.94, with five centuries to his name. His highest score in first-class cricket is 137 not out. As a bowler, he has taken 265 wickets in this format, with his best bowling figures in an innings being 7/53.