Who is Sam Konstas? All you need to know about 19-year-old opener included in Australia squad for last 2 tests of BGT 2024-25

Sam Konstas replaced Nathan McSweeney in Australia’s squad for the last two BGT 2024-25 tests.

New South Wales’ young opener Sam Konstas has earned his maiden call-up to Australia’s test squad as he replaced Nathan McSweeney for the rest of the two test matches against India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.

McSweeney, who had never opened in First-Class cricket, was picked as an opener against India and failed to deliver in five out of six innings. In the first three tests, his scores were 10, 0, 39, 10*, 9 and 4. He struggled against Jasprit Bumrah, getting out four times to the Indian pace spearhead. His 39, though, was vital in setting up a Travis Head’s century in Adelaide.

With McSweeney looking helpless against Bumrah, Australia decided to pick a specialist opener in Konstas for the next two tests. The youngster has also been in impressive form this season.

Who is Sam Konstas?

Sam Konstas is a 19-year-old opener from New South Wales. He made his First-Class (FC) cricket debut in November 2023. Konstas was part of Australia’s 2024 Under-19 World Cup-winning team. In seven matches in the tournament, he scored 191 runs at an average of 27 with one century.

Sam Konstas First-Class (FC) cricket stats:

In 11 FC matches, Konstas averages 42 with two centuries and three fifties. He’s been doing impressively in the Sheffield Shield 2024/25 season. Currently, he’s the fifth-highest run-scorer of the season with 471 runs in eight innings at an average of 58 and has struck two centuries and one half-century.

He started the season with twin centuries against South Australia, becoming the youngest to do so in the Sheffield Shield since Ricky Ponting.

He’s been in great touch in the last few games. He hit a century against Indians in the pink-ball warm-up match in Canberra and then scored 88 against Western Australia before hammering a 27-ball 56 on his BBL debut for Sydney Thunder.

But perhaps the most notable of his performances that got him the test call-up could be his 73* in a successful chase against India A before the start of the BGT 2024-25 at the MCG, where the fourth test match will be played and he is likely to make his debut. It was a tough pitch to bat on and a good Indian pace attack that Konstas scored against.

Chief selector George Bailey said on Konstas: “His style of batting offers a point of difference and we look forward to watching his game develop further.”

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