Wellington: New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner has rejected a Big Bash League (BBL) offer from the Adelaide Strikers, choosing to prioritise the Black Caps' upcoming Test series against India and Australia.

Despite receiving a lucrative proposal, the 34-year-old spinner opted against joining the Australian franchise league, keeping his focus firmly on his national duties.

"When you look ahead to the summer we've got, India here for white ball and Tests and Australia away - there's not many bigger than that - it's quite an exciting time. I'd like to still be part of that," Santner told the 'New Zealand Herald'.

"The offer was good, I'm not going to lie. They knew it would have to be a good offer for me to entertain it with contracting and what would come up. I did entertain the thought of it, but coming back to what we've got coming up, even if I'm not going to play every game of Test cricket, I still feel like there's a role for me," he added.

New Zealand are set to host India for a complete series featuring two Tests between October 22 and December 1, followed by a four-Test tour of Australia.

Santner, who remains committed to leading the national side, noted that maintaining his role within the team takes precedence at this junction of his career.

"I don't want to give up captaincy. If that was part of the deal, it was a no brainer for me. There were chats that it could have worked. But for me, sitting without a central contract and trying to captain, I don't know if that would sit right at this stage."

Under New Zealand Cricket terms, centrally contracted players must remain available for the domestic Super Smash in January, a window that clashes directly with the BBL and South Africa's SA20. While a growing number of Kiwi players have opted for flexible, casual contracts to pursue lucrative overseas leagues, Santner expressed understanding for their decisions while reiterating his own loyalty to the national setup.

"There's no judgment with guys taking casual deals. We aren't going to keep up with the money for some of these other opportunities going around," Santner said. "But for me, I still want to be part of New Zealand cricket and what we've got coming up." (PTI)