Riley Meredith

Born in Hobart, Tasmania, Riley Meredith wasn’t the most hyped junior cricketer in Australia, but what set him apart early on was his ability to bowl fast. That natural speed became his calling card as he worked through the ranks in Tasmania’s domestic setup. He made his List A debut in early 2017 and later that year stepped into first-class cricket during the Sheffield Shield season. While his red-ball career was steady, it was in white-ball cricket that Meredith began to make real noise.

His real breakout came in the Big Bash League, where he became a strike weapon for the Hobart Hurricanes. Often touching speeds above 145 km/h, Meredith posed a constant threat with the new ball and was known for rattling even the most established batters with his bounce and hostility. That domestic impact led to an international call-up in 2021. He made his T20I debut for Australia in New Zealand and soon after played his first ODI in the Caribbean. However, competition for spots in Australia’s pace-heavy white-ball squads meant Meredith’s international outings remained limited.

In parallel, franchise cricket provided a platform for Meredith to expand his game. He was signed by the Punjab Kings for the 2021 IPL season and then joined the Mumbai Indians for the next couple of seasons. While the IPL proved to be a challenging environment, it offered invaluable experience bowling against some of the world’s best in high-pressure situations.

A turning point in his career came in 2024 when he signed with Somerset in England. Playing across the T20 Blast and the One Day Cup, Meredith showed he was more than just raw pace. He adapted well to English conditions, took on leadership roles within the bowling group, and produced a number of match-winning spells. These performances sparked a resurgence in his national prospects, and later that year, he was picked up by the Trent Rockets in The Hundred as a replacement player.

The 2024/25 BBL season saw Riley enjoy a standout campaign with the Hobart Hurricanes, emerging as their leading wicket-taker in a historic run that culminated in the franchise’s maiden title. Building on that success, he joined Islamabad United for a stint in the Pakistan Super League, where he continued to impress with his pace and adaptability. Returning to Somerset for the 2025 Vitality Blast, Meredith produced the finest T20 bowling campaign of his career, finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the entire competition with 28 wickets as Somerset claimed the title.

Such was his impact that Somerset moved quickly to secure his return for the 2026 season. He added yet another franchise to his career when he was picked up by one of the new entrants in the PSL, Hyderabad Kingsmen, though he featured in only three games during the side's runner-up finish.