Sydney Thunder lock star Australia opener with long term contract extension ahead of upcoming BBL season

Young Australian batting talent Sam Konstas has committed himself to the Sydney Thunder for the long term by signing a four-year contract extension that will see him in a Thunder shirt until the 2028–29 Big Bash League.

Konstas, 19 years old, has already been on a rollercoaster ride in international cricket. He averaged just 8.33 runs in three Test matches in the West Indies, but the young opener is set on bouncing back and being more consistent. To re-establish his rhythm and sharpen his focus, he has deleted Instagram from his phone to remove any distractions.

“I’m actually off Instagram now… It’s just not having that distraction. I am trying to give myself the best chance to perform at that level,” Konstas said. "I've had the support of all the senior players in the group, and in particular, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, and Mitchell Starc have been great in terms of support. Steve Smith has been good at sharing batting advice, and the way he shared with me how Pat Cummins reminded everyone about how important it was to balance and rest."

Konstas signs on with Thunder, from record debut to boyhood dream

Despite recent challenges, Konstas' talent and potential remain clear. He made an impact on his BBL debut last season when he slammed a 20-ball half-century, the quickest in Thunder history, which made him the competition's youngest to reach the milestone. Konstas was part of Australia's Under-19 World Cup-winning team and is viewed as a potential building block of the national team.

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Konstas feels sentiment towards his contract as a Thunder supporter by nature. "I remember watching Davey Warner, Michael Hussey, and Andre Russell play for Thunder in the stands, so to now extend for another four years is very exciting to me," he said. "Batting with Davey last season was a massive, massive learning opportunity. Obviously, he’s very strategic, but he gave me clarity and freedom to just play my game. We've got an exciting group again this year, adding Shadab Khan. I feel like this is the year we’re going to dominate."

Trent Copeland, the General Manager of the Thunder, called the extension one of the easiest decisions of his career. "Sam continues to progress amazingly. From breaking records on debut to developing across formats, this deal showcases his growth, and we are excited to continue on this journey with him, as we believe he can be a Thunder player for life".