'Grown up with it': Renshaw comes full circle in T20I call up

2h ago Jack Paynter, in Colombo

Matt Renshaw always believed in his T20 game. He's now got an international cap and a place in Australia's World Cup squad to prove it

Matthew Renshaw may have made his Australian T20 debut just days ago, but the nation's newest World Cup squad member was among one of the first to get a taste of the game's shortest international format.

Nestled among the 30,000 fans that witnessed the first ever men's T20 international at Eden Park back in February 2005 was the Renshaw family, watching on as Ricky Ponting's unbeaten 98 powered Australia over New Zealand in a retro-themed start to what has conceivably become cricket's biggest evolution yet.

New Zealand and Australia play in the first-ever T20I at Eden Park, Auckland in February 2005 // Getty

Born in England, then living in Auckland before moving to Australia about a year-and-a-half later, the young left-hander was already a cricket tragic regardless of what teams or which format was being played.

The tickets were a birthday present for his older sister Hannah, but it was on her then eight-year-old brother who they undoubtedly had the greatest impact.

"For all the birthday presents she should have got, I know she'll happily tell everyone it was of the worst she could ever get," Renshaw recalls more than 20 years later, on the eve of the format's 10th men's World Cup.

"But for me, it was pretty cool being at Eden Park, watching all the Aussies and Kiwis, and great names too, being able to watch that was pretty cool."

New Zealand and Australia pose in Retro 80s uniforms before the first-ever T20I at Eden Park in 2005 // Getty

Renshaw's low-key T20I debut in Lahore last Thursday brought him full circle, no longer soaking in as much as he could from the packed-out stands like that fateful inaugural men's T20I in New Zealand, but as one of the key characters in the middle in the format that's now the game's economic backbone.

Having made his one-day international bow last October against India, it completed the now 29-year-old's trio of Australian caps, something he barely believed was possible when he broke into the Test team almost a decade ago.

"I've grown up with T20 cricket," he said. "Back then they were all wearing wigs, everyone had as much facial hair as possible and it was a bit of a hit and giggle.

New Zealand's Matthew Sinclair playing in the first-ever T20I at Eden Park, Auckland in 2005 // Getty

"Whereas now, I feel like it's something that's developed so much and it's one of the toughest formats to break into and perform well consistently, because there's so much volatility around performances.

"When I was 19 and 20 around the Test team, if you just told me I was going to be a three-format international in nine years' time, I wouldn't have believed you because the sort of the stigma was that I wasn't able to hit off the square.

"I believed I could but at that time I didn't have a Big Bash contract, I wasn't playing one-day cricket really, so to come this far … to be able to be a three-format (player), is pretty special."

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While his Test career may have stalled despite still being one of the more consistent performers in the Sheffield Shield, Renshaw's white-ball accession has been built on several dominant summers for Queensland and his Big Bash club Brisbane Heat.

Only Sydney Sixers veteran Moises Henriques (1,834) has scored more KFC BBL runs than Renshaw's 1,791 from No.3 or lower in the past seven seasons, with the Heat star notably upping his strike rate from the mid-120s early in his career to better than 160 in the past two seasons.

His recent BBL|15 campaign was his most consistent yet, with his season average at a career-high mark of 36, also notching his maiden T20 century to spearhead their record run chase of 258 to beat Perth Scorchers in December.

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It's form that's earnt him a call up to Australia's T20 World Cup squad at the expense of top-order batting allrounder Matt Short, with selectors citing Renshaw's middle order versatility and point of difference as a left-hander as reasons for his last-minute inclusion.

After a tough T20 international initiation on ragging tracks in Lahore last week where he registered scores of 15, 2 and 1 in Australia's 3-0 series loss, Renshaw believes his flexibility and play against spin bowling – having scored the second most runs (49) to sweep shots, conventional and reverse, behind David Warner (80) in BBL|15 – will allow him to perform any role required of him throughout the tournament.

"I think one of my strengths in T20 cricket is just being able to come in with any role, whether that be one-for-none or two-for, three-for a lot and being able to keep the momentum going," he told cricket.com.au in Sri Lanka ahead of the global T20 showpiece.

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"There's a bit of stuff on the spin here, being in Colombo and going to Kandy and potentially India.

"There was a really big shift for me in BBL|14 of just being able to have real confidence in my ability.

"I remember the first real test of that was in the first (home) game we played against the Strikers and Cameron Boyce came on. I've played a lot with 'Boycey' and he's got me out a few times, but I knew that I was going to probably have to create the power and the pace with him.

"So I ran down and hit a six and made sure that I tried to hit it as hard as I could and I've hit it into the into the crowd on that big side (at the Gabba).

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"At that point, I was like, 'OK, I can do this'.

"Especially (with) the spinners, just being able to trust that I can run down and hit anyone for six back over their head gave me that confidence that if it wasn't there, I could then work singles,

"But they knew that if they missed, I was going to try and hit them back over their head.

"Pace bowlers as well – I used to get caught up with all the ramps and using the pace, especially if they were bowling quick. Now, I'm looking straight back over their head, and it gives you so many more options."

Having quipped an ODI debut was so far from his radar that he had to 'Google' the fixture when informed he was part of the squad to face India in a three-match home series last October, Renshaw's addition to the World Cup 15 was equally as sudden.

While there was no searching required this time, he did promptly check with Australia's team manager what cities they would be based in for the World Cup after he was announced as part of the squad last Saturday.

"This wasn't on my radar at all," Renshaw said. "I knew there was a World Cup coming, as everyone did.

"The big one I've found is I've needed some bats. I've had a couple bats break … first ball in Pakistan one broke and then another one broke before a game. Navigating that has probably been the trickiest part of this whole situation."

Renshaw had only played the solitary T20 for Australia so naturally didn't think too much of a text message from head coach Andrew McDonald requesting a chat ahead of the second T20 in Lahore last week.

"I was just assuming I wasn't playing the next game, (which) I thought I was fine, it was pretty cool to just be in Pakistan in the first place," Renshaw recounted.

"As I was walking there, my phone lights up and it's a text with the team, and I'm in the team.

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"I got really confused as I kept walking and walked in, and 'Dodds' (national selector Tony Dodemaide) and 'Ron' (McDonald) were there and let me know that the way it's all shifted with a few of the other guys, there was an opportunity for me to stay on and be in the World Cup squad, (which) is pretty special."

And with Australia's first four World Cup group games to be played in what's expected to spin-friendly conditions in Sri Lanka, Renshaw's opportunity could come early in the tournament, especially if middle-order force Tim David is eased back into the side following a hamstring injury.

"It's just being able to be adaptable … in that four to seven spot," Renshaw said of where his chance may come.

"We've got some great players of spin, great players of pace, lefties and righties. It's just being as ready as I can for whatever situation."

2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Australia squad: Mitch Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserve: Sean Abbott