Follow UsEarlier a fanboy of the club as a child, the then U-19 World Cup-winning captain of Australia, Sam Konstas made his debut for the Sydney Thunder at the age of 19 in Big Bash League (BBL) 2024-25.
On August 19 (Tuesday), still aged 19, Konstas received an extension of four years at his childhood-favourite club. He will now be a Thunder player till 2029.
Speaking at the occasion, Konstas, who has now made his Australian Test debut and who is increasingly becoming popular, said, “I remember being a fan in the stands watching my heroes like Davey (Warner), Michael Hussey and Andre Russell play for Thunder, so to extend for another four seasons is very exciting.
"Batting with Davey last season was a great learning opportunity for me because he's very strategic in the way that he goes about things. I felt like I had a lot of clarity and freedom to play my game.
“We've got an exciting group again which now includes Shadab (Khan). I feel like this is the year we're going to dominate,” added the right-handed batter.
Konstas made headlines on his BBL debut, smashing fifty in just 20 balls, making him the fastest half centurion for Thunder and the youngest ever in the competition.
Thunder's General Manager Trent Copeland also expressed happiness over the deal and hoped that Konstas could remain a Thunder player for life.
"Since I started in this role, it's been remarkable to watch Sam's progression. This time last year he hadn't played a BBL match, and to go from that to breaking records on debut - alongside his growth across other formats - shows just how far he's come,” he said.
“This deal is huge in terms of tenure, and we see it as part of a journey that will hopefully make him a Thunder player for life,” Copeland added.
Thunder will begin their BBL 2025-26 campaign against the defending champions Hobart Hurricanes on December 16 at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.