Australia · Spin bowler

Matt Kuhnemann: Age, Test Wickets, 5/16 and BBL Stats

Matt Kuhnemann is a 29-year-old Australian slow left-arm orthodox bowler with 25 wickets from five Tests, including 5/16 against India at Indore and 16 wickets in Australia's 2025 series win in Sri Lanka. He represents Tasmania in domestic cricket, holds a Cricket Australia contract for 2026/27 and is signed by Brisbane Heat through BBL|16. His Big Bash career contains 53 wickets from 64 matches, and his nine wickets in BBL|15 earned Brisbane's men's Most Valuable Player award.

By StumpScope Cricket Desk · Edited by StumpScope Editorial Team

Left-handedSlow left-arm orthodox bowlerBorn 20 September 1996

Current squadBrisbane HeatBig Bash League · BBL|16 contract and career records checked 3 September 2026

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Full nameMatthew Paul Kuhnemann

Age29As of 3 September 2026

Date of birth20 September 1996Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Batting styleLeft-handed

Bowling styleSlow left-arm orthodox

Career overview

Matt Kuhnemann cricket career

Born 20 September 1996 in Brisbane; aged 29 on 3 September 2026.

Slow left-arm orthodox bowler and left-handed lower-order batter.

Test record: 25 wickets from five matches at 22.20, with an innings best of 5/16.

Led the 2025 Sri Lanka Test series with 16 wickets at 17.18.

Big Bash record through BBL|15: 53 wickets from 64 matches at an economy of 7.64.

Contracted by Australia for 2026/27, attached to Tasmania and signed by Brisbane Heat through BBL|16.

Career story

Matt Kuhnemann career and playing journey

Who is Matt Kuhnemann?

Matthew Paul Kuhnemann is an Australian left-arm finger spinner born in Brisbane on 20 September 1996. He bats left-handed, bowls slow left-arm orthodox and has represented Australia in Tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20 internationals.

Kuhnemann grew up on the Gold Coast and entered Queensland's system on a rookie contract for 2016/17. His career later divided across two domestic arrangements: Tasmania for first-class and one-day cricket, and Brisbane Heat for the Big Bash.

He was 29 on 3 September 2026. Cricket Australia retained him on its 2026/27 national contract list, Tasmania kept him in its men's program under that contract, and Brisbane Heat extended him through BBL|16.

How did Matt Kuhnemann begin his domestic career?

Kuhnemann represented Australia Under-19 and toured Sri Lanka in 2014 before moving into Queensland's senior pathway. He also played for Cricket Australia XI in the domestic one-day competition, giving him List A experience before a regular state role arrived.

His List A debut came in October 2017, while his Sheffield Shield debut for Queensland followed in February 2021. The longer wait for first-class cricket reflected Queensland's spin competition rather than an absence from professional white-ball squads.

Brisbane Heat offered the earliest stable senior platform. Kuhnemann made his BBL debut in January 2019, took two wickets and gradually became a bowler trusted across different phases of a T20 innings.

When did Matt Kuhnemann make his ODI debut?

Kuhnemann made his one-day international debut against Sri Lanka at Pallekele on 16 June 2022. Australia added him to the touring group when Ashton Agar was injured, and the conditions created an immediate role for a second left-arm spin option.

He took six wickets across four matches on that tour. The performance moved him from a domestic specialist into Australia's wider subcontinent plans and helped establish the selection logic for his later Test call-up.

Through the current eight-match ODI sample, Kuhnemann has 13 wickets at an average of 25.00 and an economy of 4.51. His best figures are 3/38.

How did Matt Kuhnemann reach Test cricket?

Australia called Kuhnemann from a Sheffield Shield match at the MCG into the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad. He made his Test debut against India in Delhi on 17 February 2023 despite having played only a small first-class sample.

Conditions drove the decision. Australia wanted another specialist spinner for turning pitches, and Kuhnemann's accuracy and left-arm angle offered a different problem alongside Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy.

The debut Test brought two wickets in a six-wicket defeat. Australia retained him for Indore, where the next opportunity produced the best innings figures of his international career.

Why is Matt Kuhnemann's 5/16 against India important?

Kuhnemann took 5/16 in India's first innings at Indore on 1 March 2023. His spell helped dismiss India for 109 and gave Australia control of a Test they won by nine wickets.

The five wickets included Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Ravichandran Ashwin and Umesh Yadav. It was Kuhnemann's first Test five-wicket haul and remains his conventional best bowling in one innings.

A separate 9/149 figure sometimes appears in broad career displays. That number is his combined match return in Galle in 2025; it should not replace 5/16 in a table asking for the best innings performance.

What did Matt Kuhnemann achieve in Sri Lanka in 2025?

Kuhnemann took 16 wickets at 17.18 across two Tests in Galle as Australia completed a 2-0 series win. He finished as the series' leading wicket-taker and lifted his Test career to 25 wickets from five matches.

Across the second Test, Kuhnemann collected a combined match return of 9/149. That two-innings total explains why 9/149 can appear in a broad career display even though 5/16 remains his best performance in a single Test innings.

The dependable headline is the full series: 16 wickets, 17.18 average and Australia's first Test-series clean sweep in Asia for almost two decades. That performance earned Kuhnemann his first national contract for 2025/26.

How did Kuhnemann play through a fractured thumb?

Kuhnemann fractured his right thumb while fielding for Brisbane Heat shortly before the Sri Lanka Test tour. He travelled after surgery and played both Tests with protection around the injury.

The thumb affected batting and fielding more directly than his left-arm bowling action, but playing through it still added a physical challenge to the series. Medical clearance and protective equipment allowed him to take part.

The injury should not be turned into a claim that every ball was pain-free or unaffected. What the completed record establishes is that he played both Tests and led the series wicket tally.

What happened when Matt Kuhnemann's bowling action was reported?

Match officials reported Kuhnemann's action after the second Sri Lanka Test in February 2025. Cricket Australia supported him through an independent assessment at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

The assessment found his action within the permitted limit, and he was cleared on 26 February 2025 to continue bowling in international and domestic cricket. The final outcome matters as much as the initial report.

A reported action is a request for testing, not a finding of an illegal delivery. Kuhnemann returned to Tasmania and remained eligible for Australia after the assessment resolved the matter.

Why did Matt Kuhnemann move from Queensland to Tasmania?

Kuhnemann signed a three-year Tasmania deal before the 2024/25 season because he wanted more Sheffield Shield cricket. Mitchell Swepson had been preferred in Queensland's red-ball side, leaving Kuhnemann without a Shield appearance in 2023/24.

Tasmania offered a clearer first-class role and home conditions that do not automatically favour spin. The move gave him a chance to show that control and drift could work beyond visibly turning subcontinent pitches.

His state move did not end the Brisbane connection. State contracts and Big Bash contracts are separate, so Kuhnemann can represent Tasmania in domestic competitions and continue playing for Brisbane Heat in the BBL.

What is Matt Kuhnemann's current Tasmania status?

Cricket Tasmania includes Kuhnemann in its men's program for 2026/27 as a Cricket Australia-contracted player. Nathan Ellis and Beau Webster hold the same national-contract designation within the squad list.

That status means the national contract sits above the ordinary state list while Tasmania remains his domestic team. It does not pre-fill appearances or wickets for the coming season.

A current squad position is useful context because Kuhnemann's older Queensland history remains prominent online. For 2026/27, his state affiliation is Tasmania, his national employer is Cricket Australia and his BBL club is Brisbane Heat.

What are Matt Kuhnemann's Test statistics?

Through 3 September 2026, Kuhnemann has played five Tests and taken 25 wickets from ten bowling innings. His average is 22.20, economy 3.24 and innings best 5/16, with two five-wicket hauls.

He has bowled 1,026 deliveries and conceded 555 runs. The 25-wicket total combines three Tests in India during 2023 and two in Sri Lanka during 2025, making the sample entirely Asian and strongly condition-specific.

With the bat, he has 18 runs from six innings, two not-outs, a high score of six and an average of 4.50. The old 19-run figure is not retained because it conflicts with the current official career table.

What are Matt Kuhnemann's ODI statistics?

Kuhnemann has 13 wickets from eight ODIs at 25.00. He has bowled 432 balls, conceded 325 runs, taken a best of 3/38 and maintained an economy rate of 4.51.

His batting record is 54 runs from five innings with one not-out, a high score of 24 and an average of 13.50. Lower-order runs are secondary to his bowling role, but the corrected high score belongs in the table.

Eight matches remain a small international sample. The economy is encouraging in 50-over cricket, while future series will determine whether the wicket rate holds across different countries and batting conditions.

When did Matt Kuhnemann make his T20I debut?

Kuhnemann made his T20 international debut against West Indies in Jamaica on 22 July 2025. Adam Zampa presented his cap before the match, which was also Andre Russell's final international appearance.

Australia used Kuhnemann with the new ball and in other phases during the following months. By early 2026, he had become a flexible spin option capable of bowling in the powerplay, middle overs or at the death.

His first eight T20Is produced three wickets at 73.33 and an economy of 8.14, with best figures of 1/27. The early return is modest and should be read as an eight-match starting sample rather than a final judgement.

What was Matt Kuhnemann's role at the 2026 T20 World Cup?

Australia selected Kuhnemann for the 2026 men's T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India, his first senior global tournament. The squad carried multiple spin options to match the surfaces expected during the group stage.

Kuhnemann entered the event prepared to bowl anywhere from the first over to the final phase. Cricket Australia's pre-tournament breakdown recorded prior Heat usage across 21 powerplay overs, 149 middle overs and 34 death overs.

Tournament selection proves his standing in Australia's T20 plans, but it does not change Test, ODI or BBL totals. Each completed international appearance remains inside the T20I row.

How did Matt Kuhnemann help Brisbane Heat win BBL|13?

Kuhnemann was a key member of Brisbane Heat's BBL|13 championship. He took ten wickets across the completed season and finished as the club's most economical bowler at 6.56 runs per over.

The league's pre-final Team of the Tournament vote listed nine wickets at 6.34 because it was conducted before the title match. He then played in Brisbane's final win over Sydney Sixers, so the completed-season total moved to ten.

Both figures are accurate within their cutoffs. The final-season record is the better summary, while the earlier vote establishes that his control was recognised before the trophy was decided.

Why did Matt Kuhnemann win Brisbane Heat's BBL|15 MVP?

Kuhnemann won Brisbane Heat's men's Most Valuable Player award for BBL|15 after taking nine wickets from nine matches. He bowled 35 overs at an economy of 7.69 and delivered 59 dot balls.

The award made him the first spinner to win the Heat men's MVP since Mujeeb Ur Rahman in BBL|08. It arrived during a season in which Kuhnemann carried greater spin responsibility after Mitchell Swepson moved to Melbourne Stars.

Nine wickets do not lead the entire league, but the club award measured his value to Brisbane across the campaign. Economy, dot-ball pressure and role difficulty help explain why the team recognised more than the wicket total alone.

What are Matt Kuhnemann's Big Bash statistics?

Through BBL|15, Kuhnemann has taken 53 wickets from 64 matches and 203.5 overs. His bowling average is 29.38, economy 7.64 and best 3/17.

He has also taken 26 catches. With the bat, he has 79 runs from 23 innings, 14 not-outs, a high score of 31, an average of 8.78 and a strike rate of 87.78.

The Big Bash row sits inside his wider T20 career rather than beside it as extra wickets. It is presented separately because readers often want his Brisbane Heat record specifically.

What happened in Kuhnemann's record ninth-wicket partnership?

Kuhnemann made 56 not out for Tasmania against New South Wales in the One-Day Cup on 16 September 2025. He and Brad Hope added an unbroken 101 runs for the ninth wicket.

The partnership set a competition record for that wicket and turned a difficult chase into a Tasmania victory. Kuhnemann's innings showed useful lower-order calm without changing his primary classification as a specialist spinner.

One unbeaten fifty should not be projected into a full batting-all-rounder role. It remains a genuine match-winning contribution and an important part of his domestic record.

What type of bowler is Matt Kuhnemann?

Kuhnemann is a control-oriented left-arm orthodox spinner who can vary pace, trajectory and release point without relying on extravagant turn every ball. His left-arm angle complements right-arm off-spin and leg-spin options in a balanced attack.

In Tests, his wickets have come on Asian surfaces where spin had a central role. In the Big Bash, his economy below eight across more than 200 overs shows a separate ability to limit boundary scoring under T20 pressure.

Conditions remain important. Five Tests cannot prove how the same average would translate to every Australian pitch, just as a BBL economy cannot predict red-ball success.

Which teams has Matt Kuhnemann represented?

Kuhnemann's senior career includes Queensland, Tasmania, Brisbane Heat, Cricket Australia XI, Durham and Australia. His youth pathway also includes Australia Under-19 and Queensland age-group teams.

Queensland owns his early state development, Tasmania is his current domestic side, Brisbane Heat holds his complete Big Bash record and Australia owns his international appearances. Durham supplied county experience in England.

Those team changes extend one career rather than creating duplicate identities. A score remains attached to the team and competition in which it happened, even after a later transfer.

What is known about Matt Kuhnemann's salary and net worth?

No audited public statement establishes Kuhnemann's take-home salary, complete career earnings or net worth. National, state and Big Bash announcements confirm contracts but do not publish a full personal balance sheet.

A contract value or match fee would still be gross income for one agreement before tax, agent costs, bonuses, expenses and investments. It could not establish total assets or money retained.

The defensible financial facts are his current professional contracts. A numerical wealth estimate would add precision without dependable evidence.

What is public about Matt Kuhnemann's family and relationships?

Public coverage describes Kuhnemann's Brisbane and Gold Coast background, team moves and injury recovery. It does not establish private family details that are necessary to understand his bowling career.

No dependable current report confirms a spouse, girlfriend or relationship status. Social-media photographs, follows and name matches cannot prove a private relationship.

Career analysis can rely on teams, scorecards and attributed interviews. Private-life speculation would not make the cricket record more complete.

Matt Kuhnemann records and achievements

Kuhnemann's international landmarks include 5/16 against India at Indore and 16 wickets at 17.18 in Australia's 2-0 Test win in Sri Lanka. He reached 25 wickets after five Tests and earned national contracts for both 2025/26 and 2026/27.

In the Big Bash, he helped Brisbane Heat win BBL|13, made that season's Team of the Tournament and won the club's BBL|15 men's MVP award. His current Heat career contains 53 wickets from 64 matches.

Domestic achievements include a move to Tasmania for greater red-ball opportunity, a five-wicket performance to bowl the Tigers to victory and an unbeaten 56 in a record 101-run ninth-wicket one-day partnership.

What should readers watch next for Matt Kuhnemann?

Australia's future Test tours will determine when conditions and squad balance create another role alongside Nathan Lyon. His 2026/27 national contract keeps him in the selection group without guaranteeing a place in every XI.

Tasmania offers regular domestic work, while BBL|16 gives Brisbane Heat a chance to build on his club MVP season. His new Heat agreement runs only through the coming campaign, making performance and future contracting separate questions.

Completed scorecards will decide the next statistical change. Test, ODI, T20I, state and Big Bash figures must continue to move within their own formats rather than being combined into one misleading total.

Matt Kuhnemann records

Matt Kuhnemann career statistics and records

Batting, bowling and fielding figures are kept separate by competition and format.

Test career through 3 September 20265matches

Batting

Innings: 6
Runs: 18
High score: 6
Average: 4.50
Strike rate: 26.87
Not outs: 2
100s / 50s: 0/0

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 10
Wickets: 25
Best bowling: 5/16
Average: 22.20
Economy: 3.24
Strike rate: 41.04
Balls: 1,026
Catches / stumpings: 2
5w / 10w: 2/0

ODI career through 3 September 20268matches

Batting

Innings: 5
Runs: 54
High score: 24
Average: 13.50
Strike rate: 56.84
Not outs: 1
100s / 50s: 0/0

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 8
Wickets: 13
Best bowling: 3/38
Average: 25.00
Economy: 4.51
Strike rate: 33.23
Balls: 432
Catches / stumpings: 2
5w / 10w: 0/0

T20I career through 3 September 20268matches

Batting

Innings: 3
Runs: 7
High score: 5
Average: 2.33
Strike rate: 53.85
Not outs: 0
100s / 50s: 0/0

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 8
Wickets: 3
Best bowling: 1/27
Average: 73.33
Economy: 8.14
Strike rate: 54.00
Balls: 162
Catches / stumpings: 0
5w / 10w: 0/0

Big Bash career through BBL|1564matches

Batting

Innings: 23
Runs: 79
High score: 31
Average: 8.78
Strike rate: 87.78
Not outs: 14
100s / 50s: 0/0

Bowling & fielding

Innings: 64
Wickets: 53
Best bowling: 3/17
Average: 29.38
Economy: 7.64
Strike rate: 23.08
Balls: 1,223
Catches / stumpings: 26
5w / 10w: 0/0

Career chronology

Debut and last listed match

List A

Debut

8 October 2017 for Cricket Australia XI

Last listed match

Current Tasmania one-day player

Brisbane Heat

Debut

10 January 2019 v Melbourne Renegades

Last listed match

53 BBL wickets through BBL|15; contracted through BBL|16

First-class

Debut

17 February 2021 for Queensland

Last listed match

Current Tasmania player under national contract

ODI

Debut

16 June 2022 v Sri Lanka

Last listed match

13 wickets from eight matches through 3 September 2026

Test

Debut

17 February 2023 v India

Last listed match

25 wickets from five matches through 3 September 2026

T20I

Debut

22 July 2025 v West Indies

Last listed match

Eight appearances including the 2026 T20 World Cup period

Career achievements

Career achievements and milestones

Took 5/16 against India at Indore in March 2023.
Collected 16 wickets at 17.18 in Australia's 2-0 Test win in Sri Lanka in 2025.
Reached 25 wickets after his first five Tests.
Helped Brisbane Heat win BBL|13 and made the Team of the Tournament.
Won Brisbane Heat's men's MVP award for BBL|15 after nine wickets at an economy of 7.69.
Earned Cricket Australia contracts for 2025/26 and 2026/27.
Made 56 not out in a record 101-run ninth-wicket One-Day Cup partnership.
Cleared to continue bowling after an independent action assessment in February 2025.

Reader questions

Matt Kuhnemann FAQ

How old is Matt Kuhnemann?

Matt Kuhnemann was 29 years old on 3 September 2026. He was born on 20 September 1996.

Where was Matt Kuhnemann born?

He was born in Brisbane, Queensland, and developed through cricket on the Gold Coast.

What is Matt Kuhnemann's bowling style?

He bowls slow left-arm orthodox spin and bats left-handed.

How many Test wickets does Matt Kuhnemann have?

He has 25 wickets from five Tests at an average of 22.20, with two five-wicket hauls.

What is Matt Kuhnemann's best Test bowling?

His best bowling in a Test innings is 5/16 against India at Indore in March 2023. The 9/149 figure is a combined match return, not an innings best.

Which state does Matt Kuhnemann play for?

He represents Tasmania and is listed in its 2026/27 program under a Cricket Australia national contract.

Which BBL team does Matt Kuhnemann play for?

He plays for Brisbane Heat and is contracted through BBL|16.

How many Big Bash wickets does Matt Kuhnemann have?

Through BBL|15, he had 53 wickets from 64 matches, with best figures of 3/17 and an economy of 7.64.

Was Matt Kuhnemann's bowling action cleared?

Yes. An independent assessment in February 2025 found his action within the permitted limit, clearing him to continue bowling.

What is Matt Kuhnemann's net worth?

No audited public evidence establishes his net worth, take-home salary or complete career earnings, so a numerical estimate would be speculative.

Conclusion

Matt Kuhnemann turned limited early first-class opportunity into a specialised international career. His 5/16 in India, 16 wickets in Sri Lanka and 25 wickets after five Tests show his value when Australia needs a second specialist spinner.

His current career is broader than those Test tours. Tasmania supplies the red-ball platform, Brisbane Heat has 53 wickets and a club MVP season, and Australia's 2026/27 contract keeps him in all-format plans. Future selection will depend on conditions, but the completed record already shows control across Test and Big Bash cricket.