Who is Bevon Jacobs? This must have been a common question on Mumbai Indians fans' google search after the five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winners roped in the uncapped New Zealand batter for Rs 30 lakh in the mega auction. MI picked him during the accelerated part of the auction. As the 22-year-old Canterbury batter woke up on November 26, he woke up to the news that he will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Rohit Sharma, captain Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and others.
“It was definitely a long shot. I woke up this morning with the big surprise and it was a surprise, it was awesome to see and I think it’s just been a bit overwhelming,” Jacobs told RNZ.
“I’m looking forward to to the opportunity and I’m very grateful for it.”
Getting a game may be tough for Jacobs who is one of the eight overseas players in MI squad. He will have support from BlackCaps T20 veterans Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner. The youngster is just happy to be part of the franchise and considers getting a game as a bonus.
“It’s just a massive opportunity. If I get game time that’s definitely a bonus. But just going over there and being able to learn as much as I can from the best in the world, that’s probably the main takeaway for me. Just seeing how much I can absorb while I’m over there,” he added.
Considering Jacobs' big-hitting ability, he might just get a game for MI. He can get the role of second finisher in middle or lower-middle order. So far, he has scored 134 runs from six T20 innings at an average of 33.50. While he is yet to score a half-century, he will be classified an impact player with a strike rate of 188.73.
When will Jacobs be in action?
Months ahead of boarding the flight to India, Jacobs intends to prove his mettle for Auckland in the upcoming Super Smash 2024-25. He is expected to play in the season opener against Northern Knights at Seddon Park, Hamilton on December 26.
“Knowing that it (IPL) is a few months away I’m just keeping my head down a bit and I know that I’ve got to look at what’s in front of me and that’s still trying to put my best foot forward for Auckland,” he concluded.
