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. 

During the final of The Hundred 2025, Oval Invincibles met Trent Rockets at Lord’s in London. The captain of the Oval side, Sam Billings, won the toss and decided to bat first under pressure, as they looked to post a huge score on the board. Thanks to Will Jacks’ fine knock of 72 runs in 41 balls, they were able to post 168/5 in their allotted 100 balls.

Jordan Cox also contributed with 40 runs in 28deliveries at a strike rate of over 140, scoring four boundaries and one six. In reply, the Rockets were not in the chase from the beginning of the chase. Apart from Marcus Stoinis’ knock of 64 runs in 38 balls, thanks to four boundaries and five sixes at a strike rate of 168.42, no one was able to put up a huge score.

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Oval Invincibles won their third consecutive title in The Hundred, as Billings joined Shoaib Malik to win his fifth title, which is the third-most titles in the shortest format of the game. It was an incredible all-round performance from the franchise.

The Hundred 2025: Award winners, Prize Money, and Record-breaking performances full list

The winners of the event carried a big cheque of INR 1.8 crore for the winners of the competition, while the runners-up of the tournament earned a prize of INR 90 lakh. The most valuable player got INR 6 lakh while the top run-scorer and wicket-taker got INR 6 lakh each. The top-tier players in the men’s tournament got an INR 2.4 crore salary,

Men’s competition-

Most runs- Jordan Cox (Oval Invincibles)- 327 runs

Most wickets- Josh Tongue (Manchester Originals)- 14 wickets

Player of the Tournament:

Jordan Cox- “Just having a bit of fun. Our team's so strong, it's about having fun with your mates. Donovan Ferrira's only faced about 40 balls. Shows how deep we bat. Class lineup, and very fortunate.”

Player of the Match:

Nathan Sowter- “Obviously, to play in this team is incredible. Gave me so many opportunities to do well. Tonight was my night. Very happy. The last few games have given the reins to lead the spin attack.”

Sowter picked up three wickets in his set of 20 balls, conceding 25 runs with seven dot balls. Those three wickets include the two opponent openers, Tom Banton and Joe Root, along with the number three batter, Rehan Ahmed.

The Oval Invincibles have dominated this tournament after claiming top spot in the group stage with six wins from eight contests to book their place in the final. 

The Rockets have been one of the most dependable teams this season, taking six wins in eight outings to grab second place and seal their playoff position. Their Eliminator, against Northern Superchargers, was washed out due to rain, and the Rockets made it to the finals as they finished above the Superchargers on the points table, who were at number three.

OVI vs TRT Match Details

Date: 31st August, 2025

Time: 10:30 PM IST

Venue: Lord's, London 

Live Streaming: Fancode  

OVI vs TRT Weather Report

Clear weather 

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Top Batters OVI vs TRT

• Jordan Cox (OVI) - 327 runs in this tournament 

• Joe Root (TRT) - 229 runs in this tournament 

• Tom Banton (TRT) - 234 runs this tournament 

Top Bowler OVI vs TRT

• Rehan Ahmed (TRT) - 11 wickets in this tournament

• Sam Curran (OVI)  - 12 wickets in this tournament 

• Tom Curran (OVI) - 11 wickets in this tournament 

OVI vs TRT Recent Performance

OVI vs TRT Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If OVI bats first

• First Innings score prediction- OVI is expected to score 160-175 runs

• Result prediction- OVI will win the match by 15-20 Runs 

Scenario 2- If TRT bats first

• First Innings score prediction- TRT is expected to score 135-145 runs.

• Result prediction- OVI will win the match by 4 wickets 

OVI vs TRT Predicted Playing XI

Oval Invincibles (OVI) Playing XI 

Will Jacks, Tawanda Muyeye, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Sam Billings (c & wk), Donovan Ferreira, Tom Curran, Miles Hammond, Adam Zampa, Saqib Mahmood, Jason Behrendorff.

Trent Rockets (TRT) Playing XI

Tom Banton, Joe Root, Rehan Ahmed, Ross Whiteley, David Willey (c), Marcus Stoinis, George Linde, Sam Hain, Ben Cox (wk), Sam James Cook, Lockie Ferguson.

OVI vs TRT Complete Squad

Oval Invincibles  - 

Kane Williamson (captain), Jamie Smith, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, David Warner, Daniel Worrall, Richard Gleeson, Luke Wood, Olly Stone, Ashton Turner, Ollie Pope, Jafer Chohan, Keaton Jennings, Wayne Madsen, Sean Dickson, Ryan Higgins.

Trent Rockets -

Tom Moores(WK), Joe Root, Samuel Cook, Sam Hain, Tom Alsop(WK), Tom Banton(WK), Calvin Harrison, Marcus Stoinis, David Willey(C), George Linde, Rehan Ahmed, Max Holden, Adam Hose, Lockie Ferguson, Dillon Pennington, Ben Sanderson, Callum Parkinson, Akeal Hosein.

OVI vs TRT Today Match Prediction, Who Will Win the Match?

Oval Invincibles To win

We predict that Oval Invincibles will win this Hundred Men's match. Will Jacks, Sam Curran and Donovan Ferreira will be key players to watch out for.

Northern Superchargers beat Oval Invincibles by 16 runs in an exciting game at Headingley. Sam Billings chose to bowl first, but Harry Brook’s side made the most of the batting track. Zak Crawley (49 off 25) and Dawid Malan (34 off 21) gave a flying start. Captain Harry Brook then played a brilliant knock of 56 from 27 balls, while David Miller finished strong with an unbeaten 37 off just 16. Their efforts took the Superchargers to a big total of 198/4.

The Invincibles lost their top order early, but Sam Curran (30 off 19) tried to steady things. Donovan Ferreira gave hope with a quick 41 off only 15 balls, hitting big sixes, but the chase ended at 182/7. The Superchargers sealed the win, ending the Invincibles’ winning streak.

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