Santner Injured in Catch, Shardul Comes In as Replacement

Mumbai Indians suffered an injury scare as New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner walked off the field midway through their IPL 2026 clash against Chennai Super Kings after sustaining a shoulder injury while taking a diving catch in the deep.

Santner hurt himself while completing a stunning catch to dismiss Kartik Sharma in the 17th over of CSK’s innings.

Questions were raised after injured Mitchell Santner was replaced by Shardul Thakur as a concussion substitute during the IPL 2026 clash. Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene later clarified that Santner had also struck his head on the turf and experienced dizziness, prompting the team to opt for a concussion replacement.

“He hit his head first, then his neck and shoulder. After coming off, he felt dizzy and wasn’t stable, so he was taken for a scan,” Jayawardene said after the match, which ended in Mumbai Indians’ biggest defeat in IPL history.

Jayawardene added that the team immediately sent Santner for scans and formally requested a concussion substitute. “It was ultimately the match referee and umpire’s decision, and they approved Shardul as the replacement,” he said.

Jayawardene admitted Santner might feel unlucky with the like-for-like assessment, but remained hopeful about the severity of the injury. “He’ll be disappointed, but it is what it is. Hopefully it’s not too serious, and we’ll assess him once he returns,” he said.

Santner had already completed his four-over spell, conceding 44 runs and picking up the wicket of Sarfaraz Khan. His replacement Shardul Thakur, however, had little impact, scoring just six runs after coming in at No. 8 as Mumbai Indians were bowled out for 104 in 19 overs.