Sean Abbott

The 2013/14 summer proved to be the turning point. In the Ryobi Cup he claimed 16 wickets, more than any other bowler in the competition, and he added 27 more in the Sheffield Shield. That campaign earned him the Steve Waugh Medal, awarded to the NSW Blues Player of the Year, and it also brought national selection for the ODI and T20 squads that faced Pakistan in the UAE. His T20 international debut began memorably: with the fourth delivery of his first over he removed Shahid Afridi, pinning him lbw. Later, in the 2015/16 Matador BBQs One Day Cup, he helped New South Wales lift the trophy, collecting 10 wickets at 19.40 across seven games, while in that season's Sheffield Shield he featured in nine of the 10 matches and took 21 wickets at 38.28.

His domestic form drew interest from overseas franchises too. Royal Challengers Bangalore handed him his first IPL deal, valued at INR 1 Cr, for the 2015 season. Turning out for the Sydney Sixers in BBL 6, he took 20 wickets in 10 matches and shared the player of the series honour.

The years that followed were harder. Abbott fell out of the national team and did not represent Australia again until 2019, spending a long spell on the edges of selection as Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green were favoured in the all-rounder role. His fortunes changed in 2023, a year in which he shone especially in the shortest format, highlighted by a century off just 34 balls for Surrey in the T20 Blast. He then returned to Australia's white-ball plans in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup and earned a place in the 15-player squad for the event.