Tristan Stubbs

A part of South Africa’s revolution towards packing their middle order with powerful batters who can hit from ball one, Tristan Stubbs is a promising right-handed batter who is among the many trying to deliver silverware to a team looking to win its first ICC trophy.

As capable of slogging massive sixes as he is of playing around the field with deft flicks and scoops, Tristan Stubbs is a multi-dimensional batter with multiple ways of scoring. From IPL success to promising performances in the Proteas jerseys, he is one of the most exciting up-and-coming players in world cricket.

From domestic to international cricket

Tristan Stubbs hails from Gqeberha in South Africa, and made waves in the domestic circuits with his ability to score fearlessly and in bulk across formats. He was called up to the Eastern Province squad in 2021 after strong performances in the lower and age-division leagues.

His potential led to a T20I debut in 2022 against India despite his relative inexperience at the professional level, and he has gone on to become South Africa’s number 4 in the format. He was part of their first ICC final in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and impressed with 31(21), bringing the Proteas close to the trophy.

Success in franchise cricket — SA20 and IPL

Tristan Stubbs was drafted by Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) for the newly-established SA20 franchise tournament in 2023, and was a big part of their success as they became inaugural champions in that year.

SEC would go back-to-back as SA20 champions and Stubbs’ role in the team would grow as he smashed a half-century in the final to seal the victory for the team. Alongside Heinrich Klaasen, he was one of the standouts in the tournament as his middle-order power hitting and finishing caught attention.

After two seasons with Mumbai Indians, Tristan Stubbs was picked up at base price by Delhi Capitals. He would become an important player for the side, finishing the 2024 IPL season as their second-highest run-scorer. Plundering 378 runs at a strike rate over 180, he was retained for the upcoming season of the IPL by the Delhi team.

Red ball success

Although renowned as a powerful 20-over batter, Stubbs had great success in the red ball format domestically, averaging 47.96 in 31 innings with a high score of 302*.

He finished as the second-highest scorer in the CSA Division 1 tournament in 2023, which earned him a spot in the Test team against India early in 2024.

He was elevated to batting at number three for the Proteas in the series against Bangladesh, and repaid the faith with his maiden Test century coming at the position, as he helped his team register a 2-0 series win.

Stubbs could be a key piece as the Proteas seek a spot in the WTC final, and a key player as they remain on the hunt for ICC silverware.