25-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Chris Benjamin, who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa but holds an English passport through his father, is one of the exciting sensations to watch out for in the upcoming SA20 2025.

Bought by the Mumbai Indians (MI) SA20 franchise MI Cape Town for R175,000 (approximately 8 lakhs in INR) ahead of last season, Benjamin first came into the limelight for his outstanding performances in the inaugural season of The Hundred in 2021.

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However, he is yet to feature in any SA20 game, but given his rapid rise through the ranks and tremendous potential, MI decided to retain him for the new edition, starting January 9.

The domestic career of Chris Benjamin.

Having a British passport allowed him to qualify as a local player in English domestic cricket. In 2018, he moved to the UK for studies and secured a trial in Warwickshire.

He signed a rookie contract with Warwickshire during the second half of the 2021 season. Later that summer, Benjamin impressed with a century on his Championship debut, scoring 127 against Lancashire.

The top-order batsman also underlined his ambitions to become an all-rounder and made his List A debut the same year, scoring a half-century the day before his Hundred debut.

Earlier this year, during the Second XI tournament, Benjamin showcased his talent in red-ball cricket with a stellar knock of 227 runs, comprising a staggering 23 boundaries. He finished the tournament as the third highest run-scorer with 750 runs in 8 games, at a stellar average of 57.69.

He boasts of impressive statistics in domestic cricket, scoring 260 runs in 11 games in List A and maintaining an average of 37.14. In FC, the dynamic right-hander has amassed 539 runs in 24 innings with a highest score of 127.

He decided to move away from Warwickshire and joined Kent last year in September on a three-year contract.

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A growing T20 monster

Chris Benjamin, with his ability to score quickly against spin and play monster shots with pure power, made an instant impression with a quickfire 60 on his full T20 debut in Vitality Blast in 2021.

His performance so impressed English all-rounder Moeen Ali that he recommended Benjamin as a last-minute substitute in the first season of The Hundred.

Playing for Birmingham Phoenix, he starred in his debut with 24 wins (not out of 15).

In T20 Blast, Benjamin has amassed 753 runs so far in 42 innings, while batting at a strike rate close to 150.

In the shortest format overall, Benjamin has played 69 matches with nearly 1 km of runs in his kit, including three half-centuries.

What’s next for Chris Benjamin?

While a national dream could come true in due time, Chris Benjamin has already built an impressive resume playing in T20 leagues and may soon become a coveted name in franchise cricket around the world.

The future looks bright for Chris Benjamin with a possible IPL contract on the horizon if he can continue his impressive display. Being already associated with MI gives him a slight advantage as the Reliance Industries-owned franchise has a reputation for providing opportunities to Proteas youth.

Therefore, their performance at SA20 2025 will be crucial to get more notable concerts.

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