Cricinfo staff
Published: Oct 15, 2026, 11:53 AM (11 mins ago)
Sydney Thunder have signed up New Zealand quick Trent Boult for the entire BBL 2026-27 season, including the finals. Boult has signed a one-year deal with Thunder.
That will, however, lead to a minor calendar clash for Boult, especially if Thunder make the finals. The BBL is scheduled to end on January 26 and the SA20 is set to begin on January 17 in South Africa. Boult is set to turn out for MICT again, who start their SA20 campaign on January 20. The only way Boult will avoid an overlap is if Thunder don't make the finals and finish the league stage on January 17 in Brisbane, and Boult rushes to South Africa to make it in time.
Boult, who has played only one season of the BBL so far with Melbourne Stars in 2022-23, joins fellow New Zealand quick Lockie Ferguson at Thunder.
"I'm really excited to be playing in the Big Bash again and joining Lockie at Thunder," Boult said in a Thunder release. "The way he gets involved is what I'm hoping to mirror and make a mark like he has - not just with the team but [with] the fans as well.
"Cricket has given me so much over the years, and I'm still at the stage where I love going out there, contributing, taking wickets, and trying to be aggressive in the powerplay."
In June, Thunder had appointed former England allrounder Andrew Flintoff as their head coach. Flintoff replaced Trevor Bayliss in the role after Thunder finished last in 2023-24 and 2025-26.
On the signing of Boult, Flintoff said: "Trent has an amazing reputation for being a great bloke, a team player, and a world-class performer.
"Having a couple Kiwis in the team who have played a lot of cricket together over the years brings a level of familiarity, and I think they complement each other really well as a right-arm and left-arm pairing. One of the things we haven't been able to do in recent times is take wickets with the new ball, so hopefully these two can remedy that."
Boult most recently played in the inaugural edition of the ETPL, where he was the second-highest wicket-taker for champions Edinburgh Castle Rockers with 16 wickets at an economy rate of 6.63. That included bagging a career-best 5 for 24 against Glasgow Cosmic.
Thunder start their BBL 2026-27 campaign by playing Adelaide Strikers in Canberra on December 16.