Owen earns SA20 deal on the back of BBL heroics
The opener will join Paarl Royals as a replacement for Joe Root who is heading to India
AAP
31-Jan-2025
Mitchell Owen made the equal fastest century in BBL history off 39 balls • Getty Images
Mitchell Owen has earned his first T20 contract since a dazzling display in the BBL final, joining South African franchise Paarl Royals.
Owen scored a league-leading 452 runs for Hurricanes during the BBL, starting the summer as a relatively anonymous figure before announcing himself as a star. The highlight was his scarcely believable century in the final, coming off just 39 balls as he delivered Hurricanes their first title.
Owen's pressure-laden performance was widely expected to pique the interest of T20 clubs around the world, including the IPL. The 23-year-old will have to wait longer to find out if he will pocket a life-changing sum as a late call-up for the IPL.
But the Royals have wasted no time in signing Owen as a replacement for former England captain Joe Root, who is linking up with his national squad in India and is unavailable for the rest of the SA20.
League leaders Paarl and second-placed MI Cape Town, who have Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult and Rashid Khan in their squad, will square off in next week's qualifier final.
Ricky Ponting was among the good judges to lavish Owen with praise after his eye-catching knock in the BBL final. "There's not many players in the world that can do that," Ponting told AAP.
Ponting noted discussion of Owen representing Australia in next year's T20 World Cup was "inevitable".
Matthew Wade said Owen "can be anything", adding "no stage really worries him too much".