BBL13 is fast approaching and Australia’s best T20 showcase will once again unearth a new crop of short-form stars.
Last season fast-bowling wonder Spencer Johnson emerged as one of the competition’s best with ball in hand.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes also handed Paddy Dooley an opportunity to shine, with the left-arm spin bowler bamboozling batsmen with his unorthodox action.
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While some players on this list have had their fair share of BBL experience, they are set for a breakout campaign.
Other however will be desperate to make their first appearance or solidify a spot on their respective teams with some strong performances.
Here, foxsports.com.au breaks down every team’s breakout star ahead of the BBL13 season!
STRIKERS: Ben Manenti
Manenti has played 26 games for the Sixers and Strikers since making his BBL debut in 2018.
However, this season he enters the T20 competition in red-hot form, playing a starring role for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield.
Manenti has taken 10 wickets across his five appearances but his batting has improved vastly this season.
The 26-year-old has scored an impressive 302 runs at an average of 37.75, becoming an all-rounder for the Redbacks this year.
In his last three games Manenti has scored two fifties including a huge 86 when his team were in trouble against Western Australia.
Chasing 241 in the first innings, he entered the crease at 6-109 and departed at 9-263 in a staggering effort batting at eight.
Expect Manenti to also have a bigger role at the Strikers this season after Rashid Khan withdrew from the tournament due to a back injury.
Alongside Cameron Boyce and D’Arcy Short, Manenti could become Adelaide’s first-choice spinner and with his faster bowling speed could end up bowling in the power play.
HEAT: Jack Wood
Not many cricket fans would have heard of Wood before.
The 27-year-old hits a clean ball and has made two appearances in the BBL before in 2020 and in 2022.
In his two games he took best figures of 2/28, scoring 14 runs across two innings.
Wood is an electrician by trade but is also a singer-songwriter that plays gigs around the country alongside his cricketing talents.
Initially, Wood played in the BBL as a left-arm spinner but his batting his since developed and he dominated the KFC T20 Max competition in Queensland.
He scored 379 runs at an average of 54.14 and a strike rate of 60.59, while he also delivered in the NSW Premier Cricket T20 competition.
Wood was a member of a winning Randwick-Petersham team and scored 273 runs at an average of 45.5.
While he may not be in the starting line-up to begin the Heat’s BBL13 campaign, members of the crowd should prepare to duck when he gets his opportunity.
HURRICANES: Nikhil Chaudhary
Chaudhary has taken an interesting path to the BBL, having been signed by the Hurricanes for BBL13.
Chaudhary turned heads with an impressive KFC T20 Max stint with Northern Suburbs, averaging 44.8 over the past few seasons.
He was also born in India and played for his nation’s Under 19s side before moving to Australia to reside in Queensland.
Chaudhary last played in India in 2019, representing Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The 27-year-old caught the eye of Hurricanes assistant James Hopes he was stunned by his stroke-playing in the middle order.
Chaudhary can hit the ball to all areas of the field and described himself as a “finisher” in a Hurricanes statement.
“My first goal when I moved to Australia was to be playing in the Big Bash,” Chaudhary said.
“I would describe myself as a finisher, I’ll be there at the end in the last couple of overs scoring a couple of big ones and finishing the game for the team that will be my goal for this year.”
He is another player who may not immediately be selected but will be desperate to stamp his mark if given the opportunity.
RENEGADES: Harry Dixon
Dixon is one of Australia’s best up and coming batsmen.
The 18-year-old could find it incredibly hard to break into the Renegades’ top order, however he is a star in the making.
Dixon churned runs out for Australia under 19s in a series against England, scoring back-to-back hundreds in the Test match format games.
He belted 167 and almost bested England’s first innings score of 174 on his own, helping his side to 348.
He also scored 148 in a youth ODI against England in February.
The young gun signed a two-year deal with the Renegades, putting pen to paper on his first professional contract in September.
The red Melbourne team could be the perfect spot for the opening batsmen to perfect his craft, with the experienced Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh ready to help him develop.
“I can’t wait to share a locker room with guys like Aaron Finch, Shaun Marsh, Nic Maddinson and Nathan Lyon,” Dixon said in a statement.
Look out for Dixon’s name in the future.
STARS: Campbell Kellaway
Kellaway played nine games in his debut BBL campaign for the Stars, but didn’t set the world alight.
However, he signed a two-year deal in November, locking in his services for the next two BBL seasons.
The 21-year-old has played 15 First Class games to date, scoring 647 runs at an average of 25.88 and a high score of 81.
He also has featured in six List A games, averaging 24.8 for his 124 runs.
Kellaway has the potential to be a star batsmen in the future, but for now will be desperate to develop his game and bat in the middle order for the Stars.
“Campbell has such a bright future ahead of him and will form an important part of this team for years to come,” Stars general manager Blair Crouch said when Kellaway’s signing was announced.
“He is immensely talented and we’re looking forward to seeing him develop his craft under the tutelage of batting coach Ben Rohrer.”
Kellaway could kick on in BBL13 and pile on the runs.
SCORCHERS: Cooper Connolly
Connolly made a name for himself in the BBL12 grand final.
The Scorchers needed 39 runs from 19 deliveries for victory against the Brisbane Heat when the 20-year-old entered the crease.
He went on to belt an unbeaten 25 off only 11 balls to help the Scorchers chase down their 176-run target with four balls to spare.
Connolly has played four BBL games to date and has batted twice, scoring 45 runs at a strike rate of 204.55.
He has also bowled two overs at an economy of 7.5, utilising his left-arm orthodox spinners.
Connolly also captained Australia during the 2022 Under 19s World Cup and has served as a reserve fielder for the Test team.
Speaking on Fox Cricket after the Scorcher’s BBL12 win, opener Cameron Bancroft heaped praise on the young gun.
“Talk about cult heroes, he’s just absolutely made himself one… It will go down as one of the best cameos to win a game.”
His performance saw him sign a two-year extension to remain in Perth, with BBL fans likely treated to more Connolly batting blitzes in the upcoming campaign.
SIXERS: Joel Davies
Davies couldn’t believe his luck when Cricket Australia selector Tony Dodemaide called him to ask if he would join the nation’s T20 squad in India.
The 20-year-old flew out on Tuesday night, joining the squad ahead of the fourth game of the T20 series in Raipur.
While Davies is unlikely to play, he will soak up the experience and become a better player for it having only two BBL appearances to his name.
Across his two games he managed to tally three run-outs and has made a cross-town switch after debuting for the Thunder in BBL12.
He signed a three-year deal with the Sydney team in magenta in August, off the back of an excellent Under 19s display for the NSW Metro side in 2022.
He captained the side at the National Championships and also led the run-scoring, belting 458 which included two centuries.
Davies is touted as one of the countries most talented all-rounders and could play a crucial role for the Sixers this season if given an opportunity.
THUNDER: Blake Nikitaras
The Thunder have a fairly well established squad coming into BBL13, with young guns Ollie Davies and Tanveer Sangha already having their respective breakout seasons.
That leaves Blake Nikitaras as the younger player yet to fully grab his opportunity with both hands after playing two games in BBL12.
The hard-hitting left-hander scored eight runs in his single innings last season, but he will be desperate to stamp his mark in BBL13.
The 23-year-old has played eight First Class games to date, scoring 340 runs at an average of 22.66.
However, this season in the 2nd XI competition, he has been NSW’s best performer, scoring 197 runs at an average of 65.67 with scores of 81 and 65 in against Tasmania.
He also belted 82 in a T20 clash in the NSW Premier Cricket competition and will be hoping to solidify a spot in the middle order for the Thunder this season.
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