Quick Answer
Xavier Bartlett is an Australian right arm fast medium bowler who plays for Brisbane Heat, Queensland, and Punjab Kings. He has played 8 ODIs, taking 19 wickets at an average of 15.73, and 22 T20Is, taking 24 wickets at an average of 22.83. He made an instant mark on debut, taking 4 wickets for 17 runs against the West Indies in February 2024, becoming just the second Australian in history to take four wickets on ODI debut. In the Big Bash League, he was the leading wicket taker of the entire 2023 to 24 season with 20 wickets, helping Brisbane Heat win their second title. His full BBL career now stands at 62 matches and 75 wickets.
You can follow live cricket scores and player updates on CRIC INFO 365.
Xavier Bartlett: Full Biography at a Glance
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Xavier Colin Bartlett (Xavier Bartlett) |
| Nickname | Big X |
| Born | 17 December 1998, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Age | 27 |
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Batting Style | Right handed |
| Bowling Style | Right arm fast medium |
| Playing Role | Bowler |
| National Side | Australia |
| ODI Debut | 2 February 2024 vs West Indies (ODI cap 244) |
| T20I Debut | February 2024 vs West Indies, Perth (see note below) |
| First Class Debut | 2019 to 20 season, for Queensland |
Teams Xavier Bartlett Has Played For
| Team | Format / League | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Cricket Australia XI | First Class / List A | 2016/17 |
| Queensland | First Class / List A / T20 (domestic) | 2018/19 to present |
| Brisbane Heat | Big Bash League (BBL) | 2020/21 to present |
| Kent | County cricket, England | 2024 |
| San Francisco Unicorns | Major League Cricket (MLC), USA | 2025 |
| Punjab Kings | Indian Premier League (IPL) | 2025 to present |
A quick note on his T20I debut date. Wikipedia’s data table lists it as 13 February 2023, but several other detailed profiles, including reporting from Punjab Kings’ own player page, place his actual T20I debut in February 2024 against the West Indies in Perth, where he came in as a replacement for the injured Josh Hazlewood and took 2 wickets. This piece uses the more widely reported 2024 date, but it is worth flagging the mismatch.
Who Is Xavier Bartlett and How Did His Career Start?
Bartlett was born in Adelaide but moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland with his family when he was seven years old. He started out as a competitive swimmer before switching to cricket, a decision that clearly paid off. He attended The Southport School alongside future Brisbane Heat teammate Matthew Kuhnemann, and the two would carpool together to training sessions in Brisbane, according to Brisbane Heat’s official player profile.
He made his first grade debut for Gold Coast Dolphins at just 17 years old, in November 2015, and represented Australia at the 2018 Under 19 World Cup. His first class debut for Queensland came in the 2019 to 20 Sheffield Shield season, but his early progress was slowed by a series of back stress fractures, a setback that kept him out of contention for a few seasons at a time when he might otherwise have pushed for a BBL spot sooner.
How Did Xavier Bartlett Become a BBL Star?
Xavier Bartlett’s introduction to the Big Bash League came through an unusual route. He was signed by Brisbane Heat as a replacement player during BBL|06 but did not play that season. His actual BBL debut came in 2020 to 21, during BBL|10, through the league’s now scrapped X Factor rule, which allowed a substitute player to come on mid match. Bartlett would often bowl a single high impact over and then be replaced, a strange way to start a career but one that got him noticed. In just his second BBL appearance, he took 3 wickets against Adelaide Strikers.
The role kept growing from there. In BBL|12 (2022 to 23), he was picked ahead of the more experienced Mark Steketee for a Knockout final against Melbourne Renegades and delivered a match winning three wicket spell, helping the Heat reach the final, which they went on to lose. Heat coach Wade Seccombe later admitted the team had not given Bartlett enough game time earlier that season, saying, “We always knew what he was capable of.”
BBL|13 (2023 to 24) turned out to be his breakout season. He finished as the tournament’s leading wicket taker with 20 wickets from 11 matches, including 2 wickets in the grand final against Sydney Sixers, as Brisbane Heat won their second BBL title, more than ten years after their first. According to ESPN’s feature on his rise, 12 of his wickets that season came in either the powerplay or the last four overs of the innings, showing he had become just as dangerous with the new ball as he was at the death.
He has continued to feature regularly for the Heat since, including a spell of 3 wickets for 26 runs against Adelaide Strikers at the Gabba in the 2025 to 26 season.
What Is Xavier Bartlett’s International Career Record?
Bartlett’s international call up came out of necessity rather than a long build up. In January 2024, he was named in Australia’s ODI squad as a replacement for the injured Jhye Richardson. He made his debut on 2 February 2024 against the West Indies at the MCG, and the result was immediate. He took 4 wickets for 17 runs, dismissing Justin Greaves and Shai Hope among others, and was named Player of the Match. He then backed it up with 4 wickets for 21 in the third ODI of that same series, earning the Player of the Series award.
That run of form made him just the second Australian in history to take four wickets on ODI debut, and his 4 for 17 stands as the second best ODI debut bowling figures by any Australian bowler.
His white ball international career has continued in fits and starts since, with a side strain during Australia’s 2024 tour of England limiting his ODI appearances for a period. In November 2024, he produced a fiery spell of 3 wickets for 13 runs against Pakistan in a T20I, removing Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, and Usman Khan in the same innings. His most recent international appearances came against Bangladesh in June 2026, in both the ODI and T20I formats.
What Is Xavier Bartlett’s Wider T20 Franchise Career?
Beyond the BBL, Bartlett’s franchise career has grown steadily. In February 2024, he signed with Kent County Cricket Club in England, playing County Championship cricket and appearing in the group stage of the Vitality Blast T20 competition.
His biggest move came ahead of the 2025 IPL season, when he was signed by Punjab Kings for INR 80 lakh at the mega auction. He made his IPL debut on 15 April 2025 against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mullanpur, Chandigarh, coming in as a replacement for the injured Lockie Ferguson. He also played for San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket in the United States in 2025, adding another country to a career that started with a swimming pool on the Gold Coast.
What Do Xavier Bartlett’s International Numbers Look Like?
Here is his full international batting and bowling record, based on figures compiled from ESPNcricinfo and confirmed statistics current as of June 2026.
International and IPL Bowling Record
| Format | Matches | Innings | Balls | Wickets | Best Figures | Economy | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI | 8 | 8 | 385 | 19 | 4/17 | 4.66 | 15.7 | 20.3 |
| T20I | 22 | 21 | 411 | 24 | 3/13 | 8.00 | 22.8 | 17.1 |
| IPL | 13 | 13 | 261 | 7 | 2/9 | 11.13 | 69.1 | 37.3 |
International and IPL Batting Record
| Format | Matches | Innings | Not Out | Runs | High Score | Average | Balls Faced | Strike Rate | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ODI | 8 | 5 | 0 | 64 | 52 | 12.8 | 70 | 91.4 | 1 |
| T20I | 22 | 12 | 5 | 77 | 34* | 11.0 | 71 | 108.5 | 0 |
| IPL | 13 | 4 | 2 | 40 | 18* | 20.0 | 28 | 142.9 | 0 |
Fielding Record
| Format | Catches | Run Outs | Stumpings |
|---|---|---|---|
| ODI | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| T20I | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| IPL | 15 | 0 | 0 |
His ODI batting record includes a genuinely surprising highlight, a top score of 52, well clear of what most tail end bowlers manage. His bowling tells the real story though. His ODI economy of 4.66 is excellent by any standard, and his strike rate of 20.3 in that format means he strikes roughly once every three and a half overs, a very sharp return for a fast bowler used mainly with the new ball.
What Is Xavier Bartlett’s Full BBL Career Record?
Since this is the format that made his name, his complete BBL numbers deserve their own space, separate from his international figures. Based on data tracked across his time with Brisbane Heat, his BBL bowling and batting record reads as follows.
BBL Bowling Record
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | 3+ Wicket Hauls | Best Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 58 | 75 | 23.10 | 8.70 | 16.00 | 10 | 4 wickets (best haul) |
BBL Batting Record
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Highest Score | Player of the Match Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | 31 | 288 | 15.16 | 122.60 | 42 | 4 |
His single best BBL season remains BBL|13 (2023 to 24), where he took 20 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 13.31, a big step up from the wickets per match rate he has managed across his career as a whole. That season alone accounts for more than a quarter of his entire BBL wicket tally, which shows just how far above his usual level that title winning campaign really was.
FAQs
When did Xavier Bartlett make his international debut?
He made his ODI debut on 2 February 2024 against the West Indies, taking 4 wickets for 17 runs on debut.
What is Xavier Bartlett’s best bowling performance?
His ODI best is 4 wickets for 17 runs, achieved on debut, and he backed it up with 4 for 21 later in the same series. His T20I best is 3 wickets for 13 runs.
How many wickets did Xavier Bartlett take in his best BBL season?
He took 20 wickets in 11 matches during BBL|13 (2023 to 24), finishing as the tournament’s leading wicket taker and helping Brisbane Heat win the title.
What is Xavier Bartlett’s full BBL career record?
62 matches, 75 wickets, a bowling average of 23.10, and an economy rate of 8.70.
Why was Xavier Bartlett used as a substitute in early BBL seasons?
He came through the league’s X Factor rule, which allowed teams to bring on a substitute mid match. In his early seasons, he would often bowl one high impact over before being replaced.
Which IPL team does Xavier Bartlett play for?
Punjab Kings, who signed him for INR 80 lakh at the 2025 IPL mega auction.
Has Xavier Bartlett played franchise cricket outside Australia and India?
Yes, he has played county cricket for Kent in England and Major League Cricket for San Francisco Unicorns in the United States.
What is Xavier Bartlett’s height and bowling style?
He stands 1.89 metres tall and bowls right arm fast medium.
This coverage is brought to you by CRIC INFO 365 — built to give cricket fans fast, reliable live scorecards, match reports, and analysis for every Test, ODI, and T20 as it happens.
