Royal Tasmanian: BBL star signs first overseas T20 deal

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Royal Tasmanian: BBL star signs first overseas T20 deal

Mitch Owen has earned his first Twenty20 contract since a dazzling display in the Big Bash League final, joining South African franchise Paarl Royals.

Owen scored a league-leading 452 runs for Hobart during the BBL, starting the summer as a relatively anonymous figure before announcing himself as a star.

The highlight was the Tasmanian’s scarcely believable century in the final, coming off just 39 ****** as he delivered the Hurricanes their first title.

Owen’s pressure-laden performance was widely expected to pique the interest of T20 clubs around the world, including the lucrative Indian Premier League.

The 23-year-old will have to wait longer to find out if he will pocket a life-changing sum as a late call-up for the IPL.

But the Royals have wasted no time in signing Owen as a replacement for former England captain Joe Root, who is linking up with his national squad in India.

Root is unavailable for the rest of SA20, South Africa’s domestic league.

League leaders Paarl and second-placed MI Cape Town, who have gun bowlers Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult and Rashid Khan in their squad, will square off in next week’s qualifier final.

Ricky Ponting was among the good judges to lavish Owen with praise after his eye-catching knock in the BBL final.

“There’s not many players in the world that can do that,” Ponting told AAP.

Ponting noted discussion of Owen representing Australia in next year’s T20 World Cup was “inevitable”.

Matthew Wade said Owen “can be anything”, adding “no stage really worries him too much”.

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