Jonny Bairstow is an English wicketkeeper-batter who plays for the Melbourne Renegades in BBL|16. Born on 26 September 1989 in Bradford, he’s one of England’s great white-ball players — a dual World Cup winner with 100 Tests, 107 ODIs and 80 T20Is to his name. BBL|16 is his first-ever Big Bash stint, and he’ll keep wicket for the Renegades all season. Read our full report on the Renegades’ Bairstow signing.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jonathan Marc Bairstow |
| Born | 26 September 1989, Bradford, England |
| Role | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| BBL team | Melbourne Renegades (first BBL season) |
| County team | Yorkshire (2009–present) |
| England caps | 100 Tests, 107 ODIs, 80 T20Is |
| World Cups | 2019 ODI World Cup, 2022 T20 World Cup |
Background: Early Life and Domestic Roots
Bairstow comes from Yorkshire cricketing royalty. His father was David Bairstow, who kept wicket for Yorkshire and England — he taught Jonny the game and remains a lasting inspiration after his death in 1998, when Jonny was eight. His mother Janet became the first female vice-president of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2020. Cricket runs deep in the family: his elder half-brother Andrew Bairstow played for Derbyshire, and his sister Rebecca grew up around the county game too.
Young Jonny was an all-round athlete at St Peter’s School in York — fly-half at rugby, centre-mid at hockey, right-back at football — and he spent eight years in the Leeds United Academy before choosing cricket at fifteen. He came through the Yorkshire academy, debuted for the county in 2009, and was in an England shirt by 2011. Yorkshire has been his domestic home ever since.
International Career
Test Career
One hundred Tests. Bairstow debuted against the West Indies on 17 May 2012 and built one of the great modern England keeping-batting careers: 6,042 runs at 36.39 with 12 centuries and a top score of 167 not out, plus 242 catches and 14 stumpings. His 2022 summer was legendary — a run of brutal hundreds that carried England’s new aggressive era. His last Test was against India in March 2024.
ODI Career
Bairstow was at the heart of the white-ball revolution. In 107 ODIs he scored 3,868 runs at 42.97 with 11 centuries at a strike rate above 100, forming one of the most destructive opening partnerships in history with Jason Roy. He scored two hundreds in the group stage of the 2019 World Cup as England lifted the trophy at home. ODI debut: 16 September 2011 vs India.
T20I Career
Eighty T20Is, 1,671 runs at 29.83 with a top score of 90, and a winner’s medal from the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia — a tournament played in the very conditions he’ll face in the BBL. His last England appearance was the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final against India. Add it all up and he’s a veteran of 285 T20 matches worldwide, from the IPL (Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians) to the PSL to The Hundred.
Domestic and Franchise Career
Yorkshire since 2009, and a franchise CV as long as anyone’s: Peshawar Zalmi, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians, Welsh Fire, Joburg Super Kings and London Spirit. He’s played league cricket on every continent and succeeded in all of it. That adaptability is exactly what the Renegades are buying.
BBL Career
There isn’t one yet — which is the story. Bairstow signed with the Melbourne Stars for BBL|10 in 2020 but was recalled to England’s Test squad and never arrived. Six years later, the Renegades announced him on 30 September 2026 for the entire 2026-27 season — available for the full BBL|16 campaign, which starts when the Renegades take on the Scorchers on 12 December. He’ll take the wicketkeeping gloves, filling the gap left by Tim Seifert’s switch to the Sydney Sixers. See the official Renegades announcement for the club’s full statement.
Coach Luke Ronchi called him “one of the most damaging white-ball batters in world cricket for a long period of time,” noting his aggressive style fits exactly how the Renegades want to play. Bairstow already knows captain Will Sutherland — they were teammates at Yorkshire in the 2025 T20 Blast.
The Ashes History
Bairstow knows Australian crowds well — three Ashes tours (2013-14, 2017-18, 2021-22). And yes, he expects some banter about the 2023 Lord’s stumping, when Alex Carey ran him out after he wandered from his crease. He’s taken it in good spirits: it’s part of the fun, and Renegades fans at the MCG will love an Englishman who gives as good as he gets.
Playing Style and Strengths
Bairstow is an aggressive right-handed opener who takes the attack to bowlers from ball one. He’s brilliant against pace, brutal through the off side, and his keeping is top-class — clean, sharp, and used to standing up in big moments. His powerplay strike rate has terrorised attacks for over a decade, and he reads match situations as well as anyone in the game.
Recent Form and What to Watch
The Renegades finished last season with one of the league’s weakest top orders, and Bairstow is the fix: an opener-keeper who can set the tone every single game. The question is workload and freshness at 37 — but a fully available overseas star is gold in the BBL, and few arrivals have carried this much pedigree. There’s also the theatre of it all: an English Ashes veteran playing home games in Melbourne, in front of crowds who remember the Lord’s stumping well. Expect him to be the face of the Renegades’ season, on the field and off it.
Key Stats
Test Career (England)
| Matches | Runs | Avg | 100s | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 6,042 | 36.39 | 12 | 167* |
ODI Career (England)
| Matches | Runs | Avg | 100s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 107 | 3,868 | 42.97 | 11 | 102.92 |
T20I Career (England)
| Matches | Runs | Avg | HS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 1,671 | 29.83 | 90 |
Last verified: 18 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which BBL team does Jonny Bairstow play for?
Jonny Bairstow plays for the Melbourne Renegades in BBL|16 — his first-ever Big Bash season, available for the whole campaign.
Will Bairstow keep wicket for the Renegades?
Yes. The Renegades confirmed he’ll take the gloves, replacing Tim Seifert who moved to the Sydney Sixers.
Has Bairstow won a World Cup?
Yes, two — the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup with England.
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.