When Bevon Jacobs’ cricket career took an unexpected turn thousands of miles away during the IPL 2025 auction, he was asleep in New Zealand.
On Tuesday morning, his phone exploded when he woke up. “You’ve just been picked up by Mumbai Indians,” Jacobs’ cousin said in one of the texts he received after following the auction from South Africa.

At the end of the two-day event in Jeddah, MI raised the paddle for 22-year-old Jacobs for INR 30 lakh after New Zealand players like Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson, and Michael Bracewell had not been sold. Most onlookers were unaware of his identity.
“Oh! Jacobs stated, “They [his family] couldn’t believe it.” They were probably more astonished than I was. This morning, we were all in a state of mind where we just had no idea what was happening. My dad was freaking out, thinking someone was breaking in, until I woke him up (laughs). So, this morning’s chuckle was very excellent. No, that was fantastic.
Jacobs will now join the incredibly experienced Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner at MI for IPL 2025 after playing fewer than ten Twenty20 matches.
Bevon-John Jacobs is who?
Jacobs is a 22-year-old middle-order hitter who was one of the 2023–24 Super Smash’s breakout players. Among batters who have faced at least 50 balls in the competition, he finished as a finisher for Canterbury Kings, scoring 134 runs with a strike rate of 188.73 in six innings, second only to Doug Bracewell (202.02).
When Bevon targeted New Zealand A seamer Sean Solia and New Zealand international Jimmy Neesham during his maiden match against Auckland at Eden Park Outer Oval, he instantly grabbed attention. He proceeded to make brilliant cameos and hit 42 off 20 balls.
Before his family moved to New Zealand when he was around three years old, Jacobs was born in Pretoria, South Africa.
Before moving to Canterbury, where he made his senior T20 and List A debuts, he rose via the Auckland route system. When Bevon returned to Auckland ahead of the 2024–25 domestic season, Auckland cricket’s acting head of performance and talent, Jonathan Bassett-Graham, described his strong hitting as a “real bonus.”
In his Plunket Shield debut, Bevon scored 75 and 79 for Auckland against Wellington last month, defeating an attack that featured Logan van Beek and Liam Dudding, one of the Plunket Shield’s leading wicket-takers.
Is Jacobs a New Zealand-based T20 cricket player?
During the last New Zealand winter, Jacobs played for South Brisbane in the Queensland T20 Max in Australia. On the last day of the game, he hit 100 off 40 balls against Toombull. Jacobs continued locating—or clearing—the border with his lengthy reach.
Thus, I suppose it may provide some familiarity going over there, but yes, the IPL is obviously a step up, but I’ll do what I can.”
“I want to play for the Black Caps.”
Jacobs stated that playing for New Zealand is his desire, despite the fact that an unexpected IPL agreement has made him well-known worldwide.
“Yes 100%, I mean I think the Black Caps is is a dream of mine since I was a young kid so I think that’s always going to be you know first and foremost on the radar for me,” Jacobs stated. “I constantly try to reach that goal. That will undoubtedly be the top choice, then.
Given that several New Zealand players have resigned from their domestic and national contracts, Jacobs might quickly join the Black Caps white-ball squad, particularly if he does well in the Super Smash and the IPL.
Although Auckland’s next Plunket Shield matchup with his old side Canterbury on November 28 is Jacobs’ top priority right now, he has been trying to improve his base and range, which might help him in white-ball cricket.
“Yeah just trying to work on that technical side,” Jacobs said. “I believe that having a solid foundation is something that any cricket player needs, and as you are aware, the IPL is a T20 tournament.
“But I think the best way for me to perform there is if I have that strong technical base to start off with and so we’re just building on a couple of factors with that and you know try and see if we can score some runs during the next game.”
MI’s extensive scouting network has helped them find several uncut jewels throughout the years. Will Jacobs be the next?
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