Indian cricket teams have been tough to crack in all formats for over a decade, but one quiet, methodical New Zealander, Mitchell Santner, has given their fearful batting line-up plenty of trouble.

The understated left-arm orthodox spinner has troubled the Indian team with his varied pace, flight, and pinpoint accuracy. He has made them look foolish on flat tracks by restricting their scoring and has also caused havoc to some of their best batsmen on turning tracks.

He has picked up a staggering 29 wickets in T20Is at an average of just 27.34 and has managed to keep the run rate to a minimum with an outstanding economy rate of 7.77.

Take a look back at five iconic games in which Mitchell Santner absolutely tormented the Indian team with his bowling.

1) Pune Masterclass – Red Ball Wrecking Machine

2nd Test, 2024

7/53 & 6/104

On a surface helpful to spin, Santner made his name with one of his best performances of his red-ball career. Coming into the side in place of Matt Henry, he exploited India's weaknesses.

He started the innings by dismissing Shubman Gill (30) and then completely bamboozled Virat Kohli (1) with a full-toss. He then tore through the middle order and lower order to take a stunning 7 for 53.

In the second innings, he picked up all of India's top 4, including Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli. This meant he finished with 13 wickets to help New Zealand win a historic Test match victory. He ended India's legendary 12-year unbeaten home Test series run and produced one of the greatest overseas wins in history.

2) Nagpur Shockwave – Defending the Un-defendable

T20 World Cup 2016

4/11 (4.0)

Playing his 6th T20 International, Santner had a huge task ahead after New Zealand had posted a low score of 126/7 on a dusty pitch. MS Dhoni's India were heavy favorites to easily chase the target.

However, Santner produced a masterclass.

Early Wickets: He opened the innings with a brutal start by taking two wickets in the first 2 overs. Removing Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina as India struggled at 12/3.

Middle Order: He followed this up with a stunning wicket by trapping Hardik Pandya LBW for 1.

Final Wicket: He capped off his Player of the Match performance by removing India's highest run scorer, MS Dhoni. A score of 79 was put on the board.

Santner took 4 wickets for 11 runs, which set the tone for the rest of the game as New Zealand made it to the semi-finals. This helped establish Santner as a big game player.

3) Manchester Squeeze – Silent Assassin of Manchester

ODI World Cup 2019 Semi-final

2/34 (10.0) (2 maidens)

“Whilst Henry and Boult took the new ball, Santner locked the door in the middle overs.”

Whilst Trent Boult and Matt Henry were rightly given all the praise for taking 5 wickets for 3 runs, Santner provided the tactical approach for New Zealand to win.

Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya were playing with calm nerves. However, Santner came in and bowled 2 maiden overs. This put the pressure on the Indian pair as they became frustrated. He took their wickets just as they were looking to accelerate. He was New Zealand's most economical bowler by far and removed India from the World Cup.

4) Hagley Oval Squeeze – Captain's Best Spell

2nd T20I, 2026

4/21 (4.0)

Santner led by example with a masterclass on a slow surface. Whilst defending a competitive total, Santner came in early to take wickets.

1st Over: He removed the lethal Abhishek Sharma.

2nd Over: He took a double wicket by getting rid of Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel. This reduced India to 70/5 in the 11th over.

4th Over: He came back late in his spell to remove the dangerous Naman Dhir.

Despite Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy producing a heroic performance in the last few overs, Santner made history in this spell by becoming the only bowler in T20I history to take multiple 4-wicket hauls against India.

5) Vizag Comeback – Comeback Victory

4th T20I, 2026

3/26 (4.0)

Earlier in the series, India chased down a score of 209 in just 15.2 overs. However, Santner had a tough time. However, Santner is known for his resilience, and he adapted his bowling strategy.

With New Zealand defending 216, they needed someone to disrupt India's scoring on a flat pitch. Santner changed his pace beautifully and held his length to force the large batsmen to play poorly. He took vital wickets of Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. He took 3 wickets in 26 runs to help New Zealand win their only match of the T20I series.

Mitchell Santner might not have the pace of a fast-bowler or the mystery of a wrist-spinner, but he has become one of the best players for New Zealand against India thanks to his calm, precise and intelligent play. When the Kiwis are looking like they could be run over by India, it is Santner who often rises up to change the tide of the game.