Mitchell Santner: “I’m happy I’ll be bowling to (MS) Dhoni in the nets rather than in a match”

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New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner has admitted that he is looking forward to playing with Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).

Santner was picked up by the franchise for his base price of INR 50 lakhs at the IPL auction last month.

While he is excited to be playing with Dhoni, Santner, who is aware of the Indian wicketkeeper’s ability to finish off games, admitted that he is glad to only be bowling to the 36-year-old in the nets.

“I’m happy I’ll be bowling to (MS) Dhoni in the nets rather than in a match, like I have been,” he was quoted as saying by the Deccan Chronicle. “I’m definitely looking forward to joining the culture at CSK, talking to and playing alongside experienced players such as skipper Dhoni, (Suresh) Raina and (Ravindra) Jadeja in a great team environment.”

“I’m very excited to be a part of this year’s IPL and looking forward to joining the Chennai family. The IPL is probably the biggest T20 competition in the world, so I am excited to showcase my skills on the big stage and ultimately help CSK win games and ideally the championship.”

Santner, who is the top-ranked bowler in Twenty20 Internationals, visited India in October to November last year with the Black Caps.

The 26-year-old had a decent amount of success, especially in the ODI series, and is hoping to make his presence felt in the IPL.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play in India in all three formats and have had some reasonable success along the way against some of the best players going around, so I’m looking to draw on some of that experience in the upcoming IPL,” he said.

Santner added that he enjoys bowling in India since the conditions in the country are extremely spin-friendly.

“I enjoy bowling in India because the conditions can benefit spinners on some slower wickets and playing in front of packed stadiums, full of fans is also something you don’t get back home,” the Hamilton native said.