3 reasons why IPL franchises should cash in for Sam Billings

Hat-trick of winning a T20 title, Oval Invincibles, under the captaincy of Sam Billings, won their third consecutive The Hundred trophy. Billings, who is already a well-established name in international cricket, especially in the Twenty20 format, remains mostly ineffective in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

In the past, the keeper-batter played for three different IPL franchises and never looked in a stable condition. But now, he is more mature and sensible according to the conditions of a match. Sam last took part in IPL back in 2022; now it's 2025, and he has developed himself more as a cricketer and as a leader as well. As of now, there can be multiple reasons behind rethinking about him ahead of the mini auction of IPL 2026:

3 reasons why IPL franchises should consider Sam Billings for IPL 2026:

Overseas Keeper-batter: Nowadays, in limited overs cricket, keeper-batters have to play a huge role. A prolific wicketkeeper, who has a pair of hands to hit the ball hard, always attracts scouts. Rahmatullah Gurbaz, Quinton De Kock, and Sanju Samson are a few of the many Indian and overseas keeper-batters in the IPL. Over the years, some of the overseas keepers proved underwhelming, or in some cases, franchises may have to see better ones to add more value to the squad. Sam can be a good option who can add more value to a squad with experience and skills. 

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Leadership qualities: The cricketer who has multiple T20 titles under his belt is definitely someone who can add some value in a team's leadership roles. With the recent win in The Hundred tournament, he became the third most successful captain to win the most T20 titles with five victories. Billings first guided Kent Spitfires to Vitality Blast glory in 2021, then lifted the ILT20 trophy with Dubai Capitals. If any team has been in search of a captain, then the Kent-born can end the search. 

Batting depth: With his versatile style of batting, the English cricketer can be a pillar in the middle order. Now 34, with a much more mature mindset, he has developed the potential to drag an inning from the lower batting order, though his batting stats are not as impressive as his record as a skipper. If any franchise considers Sam as a middle-order batter, then he can be used as a backup option to increase bench strength.