KKR bought him for INR 2.80 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, outbidding Punjab Kings (PBKS).
Kolkata Knight Riders’ left-arm speedster Spencer Johnson will travel to Galle during the second Test to join the Australia team and be part of their two-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. KKR bought him for INR 2.80 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, outbidding Punjab Kings (PBKS).
While he will be available for selection against Sri Lanka, Johnson is uncertain about featuring in the Champions Trophy 2025, which will be held soon after the Sri Lanka series. In his young career, he has played two ODIs for Australia and has been wicketless in both outings.
Spencer is not part of the Champions Trophy squad but can be in contention since uncertainty lingers around captain Pat Cummins. A lot will depend on his performances in those two matches against Sri Lanka, which will serve as a preparation for the ICC event.
Pat Cummins is not part of the ongoing Sri Lanka tour for personal reasons, as he and his wife are expecting their second child. While he has been named as the captain of the Australia squad for the Champions Trophy, Cummins might skip the tournament to be with his family, so the move to keep Spencer around seems pragmatic.
Spencer Johnson can move the new ball both ways at pace and extract anything available in the air or off the deck. He had an economy rate of 5.87 in the powerplay in the recently concluded Big Bash League (BBL) 2024/25.
Further, he has a good yorker and developed a few slower ones to operate effectively in other phases. Johnson can also hit the deck hard and agitate batters with his high pace at shorter lengths.
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He hasn’t played enough List A games, having featured in only ten matches – taking 10 wickets at 46.30 runs apiece. Johnson’s superior skillsets are more tempting than these numbers, which compelled the team to recall him in the ODI setup.
Australia have a similar player in Mitchell Starc, but Johnson’s addition will provide a solid backup for him and Cummins. At this stage, he looks certain to replace Pat Cummins in the Champions Trophy squad if the Aussie skipper decides not to participate.
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