Ben Manenti is having the year of his life. The Italian-Australian all-rounder signed a two-year deal with the Melbourne Renegades on 9 October 2026 — his third BBL club after the Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers — on the back of a breakout 2026 that started at the T20 World Cup and kept getting better. Born on 23 March 1997 in Sydney, the 29-year-old off-spinning all-rounder was Italy’s best player at their first-ever World Cup, then came home and smashed a maiden Sheffield Shield century as stand-in South Australia captain. The Renegades needed a spinner after Adam Zampa left for Hobart. They’ve got one in form.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full name | Benjamin Andrew Davey Manenti |
| Born | 23 March 1997, Sydney, New South Wales |
| Country | Australia / Italy (international) |
| Role | All-rounder |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm off break |
| BBL team | Melbourne Renegades (2-year deal from BBL|16) |
| State team | South Australia |
| Italy | 12 T20Is, 231 runs @ 23.10, 8 wickets |
Background & Early Life
Manenti grew up in Sydney in a sporting family. His father John Manenti was a professional rugby league player and coach, and his brother Harry plays international cricket for Italy too — so competitive sport was in the blood. Ben qualified for Italy through his Italian grandmother, and that heritage would end up defining his international career. He came through the New South Wales junior system as an off-spinning all-rounder, but the path to regular senior cricket was crowded, and he eventually headed south to South Australia to get his chance. For nine years he was a BBL journeyman — 42 games across the Sixers and Strikers, mostly as spin cover for the likes of Steve O’Keefe, Cameron Boyce and Lloyd Pope. His BBL record (22 wickets at an economy of 7.31) was solid without ever screaming “pick me”. But he kept working, kept performing for South Australia, and when the World Cup gave him a stage, he exploded.
Test Career
Not played. Manenti’s international cricket has been entirely in Italy colours.
ODI Career
Not played. Italy’s international fixtures have been in the T20 format.
T20I Career
Manenti made his T20I debut for Italy against Ireland in 2023, and February 2026 belonged to him. At Italy’s first-ever T20 World Cup, in India, he was the Azzurri’s best player — top scorer with 138 runs in three innings and second-highest wicket-taker with five scalps. The innings everyone remembers came at Eden Gardens in Kolkata: a rollicking 60 off 25 balls against England, with six sixes and four fours, that briefly had Italy dreaming of one of the great World Cup upsets before they fell 24 runs short. He also smashed a 29-ball fifty against Scotland and took 2 for 9 in Italy’s historic first World Cup win over Nepal. For an Associate nation making its debut on the biggest stage, Manenti was the man who made them believe. In 12 T20Is he has 231 runs at 23.10 with a strike rate of 144.38, and 8 wickets.
Domestic Career
For South Australia, Manenti has become a genuine match-winner. His first-class record reads 39 matches, 1,918 runs at 36.18, and 70 wickets — and the landmark came in October 2026. Days after the Renegades deal was being finalised, Manenti — standing in as South Australia captain — walked out at 165 for 5 against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield opener and smashed a maiden first-class hundred: 128 off 112 balls, batting with the tail to push SA past 500 in the first innings. Twelve Shield fifties had come before without the big one; this was the breakthrough. A stint with the Rotterdam Dockers in the inaugural European T20 Premier League between the World Cup and the Australian summer kept him sharp — and kept the runs and wickets coming.
Franchise Career
Beyond the BBL, Manenti’s franchise exposure is limited — the Rotterdam Dockers stint in the European T20 Premier League is the main entry, plus his Italy commitments. He’s never been a globetrotting T20 mercenary; his career has been built on Shield cricket and BBL squad roles. The Renegades deal changes that equation — he’s arriving as a proven performer, not a squad filler.
BBL Career
Read the full story of Manenti’s Renegades signing here. With Adam Zampa departing for the Hurricanes, Melbourne needed spin — and they went for the form all-rounder of the Australian winter. The two-year deal, announced on 9 October 2026 and running through BBL|17, makes the Renegades his third BBL club after bit-part stints with the Sixers and Strikers. The difference this time: he’s arriving as a proven performer, not a squad filler. Head coach Luke Ronchi called him a highly competitive player who offers genuine flexibility with bat and ball — and exactly the character they want in the environment. He’s expected to start, and to push for the main spin-bowling role in a group that includes Callum Stow, Michael Archer and Michael Bracewell.
Season-by-Season Highlights
- BBL|04–BBL|14: 42 games across the Sixers and Strikers over nine years, mostly as spin cover — 22 wickets at an economy of 7.31.
- BBL|15 (2025-26): Last season with the Strikers before his breakout 2026.
- BBL|16 (2026-27): New two-year deal with the Melbourne Renegades, through BBL|17, alongside fellow new recruit Jonny Bairstow in an exciting rebuild.
Playing Style & Strengths
Manenti is the classic off-spinning all-rounder, but with more hitting power than the label suggests. His off-breaks are tidy and clever in the middle overs — a BBL economy of 7.31 across 42 games shows he doesn’t leak — and his batting has always had gears, as that 25-ball 60 against England proved. He’s strong through the leg side, clears the rope late in an innings, and fields well. The Shield century added another string: he can build a long innings under pressure too. For the Renegades, he’s the flexible piece every T20 squad needs — spin overs, late hitting, and a competitor’s edge.
Recent Form & What to Watch
Manenti has never been in better form. A World Cup starring role, a European franchise stint, a maiden Shield hundred as stand-in captain, and now a two-year BBL deal at a club that needs him. For BBL|16, the role is clear: start in the XI, bowl four overs of off-spin, and finish innings with the bat. If he reproduces his 2026 form in red, the Renegades will have pulled off one of the signings of the season. The only question is whether the step up from bit-part player to key man fazes him — and nothing about his last twelve months suggests it will. Italy’s World Cup hero is ready for his BBL close-up.
Key Stats
| Format | Mat | Runs | Avg | Wkts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20Is (Italy) | 12 | 231 | 23.10 | 8 |
| BBL | 42 | — | — | 22 |
| First-class | 39 | 1,918 | 36.18 | 70 |
Last verified: 18 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which BBL team does Ben Manenti play for?
The Melbourne Renegades — a two-year deal from BBL|16, running through BBL|17. It’s his third BBL club after the Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers.
What did Manenti do at the T20 World Cup?
He was Italy’s top scorer (138 runs in three innings) and second-highest wicket-taker (five) at their maiden T20 World Cup in February 2026, including a 25-ball 60 against England at Eden Gardens.
Has Manenti played for Australia?
No — he plays internationally for Italy, qualifying by descent through his Italian grandmother. His brother Harry plays for Italy too.
See the BBL 2027 schedule for Renegades fixtures, meet the other BBL 2027 teams, and check the BBL 2027 points table once the season starts.