Santner revels in his role as lead spinner in Mumbai

Orthodox left-arm spinners don't bag headlines these days. They don't hit jackpots in player auctions. More wheels to T20 cricket have consigned traditional left-arm spin to the margins. Add the abhorrence to using incoming spin to left-handed batters among think-tanks has curtailed their role further.

- Rasesh Mandani

MUMBAI: Orthodox left-arm spinners don't bag headlines these days. They don't hit jackpots in player auctions. More wheels to T20 cricket have consigned traditional left-arm spin to the margins. Add the abhorrence to using incoming spin to left-handed batters among think-tanks has curtailed their role further.

Being accepting of this reality, adapting and carving your own niche is the only way to survive. Mitchell Santner has made a habit of doing that but it is only now in Mumbai Indians' blues, after years at Chennai Super Kings, is he getting to put his hand up more regularly.

For most of the past seven years in Chennai Super Kings' yellow, Santner warmed the bench. In seven seasons for CSK, the Kiwi spinner bowled just 61 overs over 18 matches. On average, that's eight overs per season. Far too little for a spinner of his class.

By another metric, he bowled 3.3 overs per match at CSK. It's the same amount of bowling he is doing for MI. Only this time, he has already featured in 10 of MI's 13 league matches, which has allowed him to flourish.