Samuel William Billings, popularly known as Sam Billings, is a cricketer of the England cricket team. Billings is not only an explosive right-handed batsman but also a brilliant wicketkeeper. Apart from this, he is also known for his brilliant fielding antics. Such is his prowess in the outfield that he is sometimes seen leaving the gloves to save some runs at the boundary for his team.
He has so far played 28 ODIs and 37 T20 Internationals and only 3 Test matches. Billings has also played for the England cricket team in limited-overs formats. And apart from this, he has also played cricket for T20 franchises like the Indian Premier League, Pakistan Super League, and Australia’s Big Bash League.
Sam Billings was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 2 crore during the Tata IPL 2022 auction. Wicketkeeper-batsman Sam has withdrawn his name from IPL 2023. As he wants to focus on longer-format cricket with Kent Cricket at the start of the English season.
England cricket team’s star wicket-keeper batsman Sam is currently in the headlines as he has told that he is battling skin cancer. Billings had 2 operations last year to clear malignant melanoma from his chest.
Birth & Early Life
Sam Billings was born and raised in Pembury, Kent. Billings went to attend the New Beacon School in Sevenoaks before moving to Haileybury College in Hertfordshire. And he used to play cricket for his school cricket team. He then earned a degree in Sport and Exercise Science from Loughborough University. After attending the university, he put in extra effort to hone his talent and he gives full credit to the university for motivating him. Sam Billings was born on 15 June 1991 in Pembury, Kent City, England.
Sam’s mother’s name is Annie Billings. His father’s name is unknown. His sister’s name is Alice Billings. Sport is in his blood as his cousin Tom Billings reviewed the world championships in racquet sports, and his grandfather Ron Billings was also a successful racquet player.
Sam and his girlfriend Sarah Cantlay have been in a relationship for a long time. On 20 November 2021, Sam got engaged to his girlfriend Sarah. Billings’ fiancee Sarah is a tennis player, who has won many awards in her career. She is also a graduate in Psychology.
Sam Billings Bio
| Real Name | English Cricketer (Wicket-keeper, Batsman) |
| Nickname | Sam, Bilbo, Billo, Rupert |
| Profession | English Cricketer (Wicket- keeper, Batsman) |
| International Debut | Test- 14 January 2022 vs Australia in Hobart ODI– 9 June 2015 vs New Zeland in Edgbaston T20– 23 June 2015 vs New Zeland in Old Trafford |
| Coach/Mentor | Not Known |
| Jersey Number | #20 (Kent CCC) #7 (England) #7 (Delhi Daredevils) |
| Domestic/State Teams | Kent, Islamabad United, Delhi Daredevils, Chennai Super Kings, Sydney Sixers |
| Batting Style | Right Handed Bat |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm medium pace |
| Nature on Field | Aggressive |
| Likes To Play Againts | Australia |
| Favourite Shot | Pull, Cut |
| Career Turning Point | The remarkable century on debut and consistent performance in the county and List- A matches provided Sam Billings a chance in the International Squad. Sam has been consistent with his bat in the Internationals. |
| Date of Birth (DOB) | 15 June 1991 (Saturday) |
| Age (As of 2023) | 32 Years |
| Birthplace | Pembury, Kent |
| Hometown | North Kent |
| Zodiac Sign | Cancer |
| Nationality | English |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Hobbies | Playing Football, Rugby, Squash, Racquets & Tennis |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| School | New Beacon School in Sevenoaks Haileybury College in Hertfordshire |
| College/University | A Degree in Sports and Exercise Science |
| Education Qualification | A Degree in Sport and Exercise Science |
Physical Attribute
| Height (approx.) | 178 (in centimeters) 1.78 (in meters) 5′ 10″ (in feet & inches) |
| Weight (approx.) | 67 (in kilograms) 148 lbs (in pounds) |
| Body Measurements (approx.) | Chest- 41 Inches Waist- 33 Inches Biceps- 13 Inches |
| Eye Colour | Hazel Blue |
| Hair Colour | Blonde |
Family & Girlfriend
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Sarah Cantlay |
| Wife/Spouse | N/A |
| Father | Name Not Known |
| Mother | Annie Billings |
| Sister | Alice Billings |
| Brother | Tom Billings (Cricketer) |
| Grandfather | Ron Billings |
Money Factor
| Salary/Income (approx.) | INR 1 Crore (In 2019 for Chennai Super Kings) |
| Net Worth (approx.) | £2,400,000 (As of 2023) |
Social Media Info
If you Like Sam and you want to know more about him, You can follow him on platforms such as Instagram, and Twitter.
Sam Instagram: @sambillings
Sam Twitter: @sambillings
Domestic Career
In May 2011, Sam Billings made his domestic debut, when Sam was picked in the Kent County club’s squad and then Sam made his debut vs Leicestershire. In the same season, Samuel William Billings made his List A debut for Kent and scored exceptionally well. As of 2014, Sam Billings was the leading-choice wicketkeeper for Kent and scored 693 runs in the season.
During a county match in 2016, Sam Billings took seven catches in an inning and nine catches in the match, becoming the most catches by any player in a first-class match for Team England. Sam also made his highest first-class score in the same match. Subsequently in 2018, Sam Billings was appointed as the captain of the Kent county club.
International
Sam Billings was selected in a screening program for a training camp in Sri Lanka in 2014. Billings was also included in the English squad for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup but did not play in any matches during the tournament. In June 2015, Sam Billings made his international debut opposite New Zealand in a One Day International. However, he could only score 3 runs in the match.
During the same tour, Sam Billings also made his T20I debut for the team England vs New Zealand and scored twenty-three runs in the match in slog overs to help his team win the match. Sam Billings remained a part of the English team till 2017 but he did not get many opportunities and did not appear in two consecutive matches.
Cricketer Sam Billings scored his maiden One Day International fifty in the year 2016 vs Bangladesh and supported his team win the final match of the series. Sam Billings was named as the vice-captain of the English team for the limited-overs series against New Zealand. In the final Test of the Ashes 2021-22, Sam Billings made his Test debut for England, six years after making his international debut.
Sam Billings T20 Franchise Career
Sam Billings has been a part of several T20 leagues all over the world and has found great success as a T20 batsman. Billings has been a part of the Big Bash League (BBL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), and the Indian Premier League (IPL) and will also be a part of the South African T20 League (SA20) in 2022. In 2015, Sam Billings made his T20 franchise debut playing in the PSL for Islamabad United. He remained a part of the league till 2017. In the year 2016, Sam Billings was bought by the Delhi Daredevils (DD) in the Indian Premier League season.
He played 4 matches in this season and scored 88 runs. And in 2017 also Delhi Daredevils retained him in their team. In 2017, Billings scored 138 runs in just 6 matches, with a highest score of 55 in a match. In 2018, Sam Billings was signed by Chennai Super Kings.
He played 8 matches but did not perform well. Sam Billings was included in the Delhi Capitals team in 2021, but he did not get a chance to play any match in the season. In IPL 2022, Sam Billings was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders in the mega auction for Rs 2 crore. And playing for KKR in IPL 2022, Sam Billings scored 169 runs in eight innings at an average of 24.14.
Some Interesting Facts About Sam Billings
- England’s wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings is very popular for his fast batting. In the last few years, Billings has earned a lot of popularity name in the T20 format.
- Billings is also known for his support for the development of cricket through charitable organizations around the world. He has worked with disabled cricket teams and is a patron of cricket in Rwanda in Africa.
- He has also been an accomplished athlete and played tennis for Kent before turning to cricket. Apart from this, he was also involved in sports like football, rugby, and squash.
- In Tests, Sam Billings has played only three matches, Billings made his Test debut against Australia in Hobart. He was added to the squad for the fourth Ashes Test at the last minute. After this, he also played one test each against New Zealand and India.
- Samuel William Billings was picked to trial for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. but chose cricket instead.
- In One Day International, Sam Billings has played twenty-six matches and scored 607 runs, including one century and four half-centuries.
- In T20 Internationals, Sam Billings has played 37 matches and scored 478 runs including 2 fifties.
- In IPL, Sam Billings has played 30 matches and scored 503 runs including 3 fifties
- On May 2022, Sam Billings played his last IPL match against Lucknow at D Y Patil Sports Stadium, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, scoring 36 off 24 balls
