Daryl Mitchell was called into New Zealand's Test team in late 2019 as a replacement for the injured Colin de Grandhomme. He impressed, too, making an increasingly assured 73 in his first innings and bowling with impressive control on a sluggish Hamilton surface. It was probably no surprise he felt at home: he was born and raised in the city and made his name as an all-rounder with Northern Districts.
Although primarily a middle-order batsman, his seam bowling had developed over previous seasons and he had made his international debut against India in T20 cricket in February 2019. Mitchell made his first-class debut at the end of 2011/12 season and came to prominence by averaging 54.53 the following year. That saw him win a place in the New Zealand A squad in India and Sri Lanka and, while he found life tougher there, he responded with centuries in successive innings during the following domestic season. An unbeaten 170 made against Canterbury shortly before the England series in 2019 ensured he was in the selectors' thoughts and, when de Grandhomme was forced to pull out of the second Test, Mitchell was selected.
Since his international debut, Mitchell has gone on to make every post a winner, establishing himself as a key figure for the BLACKCAPS in all three formats.
He reached his maiden Test century against Pakistan at Hagley Oval in January 2021 and followed it up with his maiden ODI century against Bangladesh at the Basin Reserve later that summer.
He played a crucial role opening the batting in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, helping the BLACKCAPS reach the final with an unbeaten 72 in the semi-final against England.
During the 2022 winter tour of England, Mitchell set a new record for most runs – 482 – in a Test series for New Zealand against England and became just the fifth New Zealand men’s Test player to make centuries in three consecutive tests.
He is the son of former New Zealand rugby union player and coach John Mitchell who, at the time of Mitchell’s Test debut against England, was defence coach for the England rugby union side that lost in the World Cup final.
