Jacob Duffy is the 6 feet tall fast bowler from the tiny Southland town of Lumsden who waited the best part of a decade in domestic cricket before becoming one of New Zealand’s most important bowlers. On 7 November 2026, he produced one of the finest spells of his ODI career, taking 3 for 35 against India at Wellington, including the wickets of captain Shubman Gill for a first-ball duck and Virat Kohli for seven.
At 32 years old, Duffy is a late bloomer who broke a 40-year-old New Zealand record in 2025, rose to number one in the ICC T20I bowling rankings, and earned an Indian Premier League contract with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
| Full Name | Jacob Andrew Duffy |
| Age | 32 years old (born 2 August 1994) |
| Height | 6 feet (183 cm) |
| Birthplace | Lumsden, Southland, New Zealand |
| Occupation | Cricketer (right-arm fast-medium bowler) |
| Known For | 3/35 vs India at Wellington (7 Nov 2026); 81 international wickets in 2025, a New Zealand record; Otago’s all-time leading wicket-taker |
| Net Worth 2026 | Not publicly disclosed (see Net Worth section below) |
Early Life
Jacob Andrew Duffy was born on 2 August 1994 in Lumsden, a small town of around 500 people in New Zealand’s Southland region. He was educated at Southland Boys’ High School in Invercargill. Southland has no provincial cricket team of its own, so Duffy played for Otago, the nearest major association.
Duffy’s rise began remarkably early. He signed a first-class contract with Otago at the age of 17, and he made his senior debut in an HRV Cup match against Northern Districts in January 2012 while still in his final year at school. As reported by Cricbuzz, he dismissed Kane Williamson and Tim Southee in the same spell during that debut Twenty20 season. He became the first Southlander to play international cricket for New Zealand since Jeff Wilson in 1993.
Career
Duffy has represented Otago in domestic cricket since the 2011/12 season, and he has become the association’s most prolific bowler. He led Otago’s wicket-taking in the 2017–18 Plunket Shield with 29 dismissals in eight matches, and in the 2018–19 Ford Trophy with 25 in eleven. In 2023 he broke Stephen Boock’s long-standing record as Otago’s leading wicket-taker across formats, taking nine wickets in a match against Northern Districts in Dunedin, as reported by Sportsdunia.
In the 2016–17 season he took a full season away from cricket at the suggestion of Otago coach Rob Walter, after chasing extra pace had cost him his natural swing and accuracy. The reset worked, and the control that now defines his bowling dates from that period.
International cricket came in December 2020, when Duffy made his T20I debut against Pakistan at Auckland on 18 December 2020. He took 4 for 33 from his four overs and was named Player of the Match, a debut few New Zealand bowlers have matched. His ODI debut followed on 12 July 2022 against Ireland, and he made his Test debut on 7 August 2025 against Zimbabwe, in the same match in which Matthew Fisher also debuted. By 7 November 2026, as listed by ESPNcricinfo, he had taken 25 Test wickets in four matches, 46 ODI wickets in 26 matches, and 67 T20I wickets in 52 matches, plus 343 wickets in 112 first-class matches.
Duffy is a right-arm fast-medium bowler who relies on swing, seam movement and clever variations rather than raw pace. In the powerplay he shapes the ball away from right-handed batters, and at the death he turns to off-cutters and the back-of-the-hand slower ball, deliveries built on nuance and disguise, as described by Cricbuzz.
Duffy has also built a county and franchise career. He played for Kent in 2022, taking a five-wicket haul on debut that included three wickets in an over, then Nottinghamshire in 2024 and Worcestershire in 2025. In the IPL 2026 auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru bought him for his base price of Rs 2 crore, as reported by StarsUnfolded and Cricbuzz.
The year 2025 was his breakthrough. He took 81 wickets across formats in the calendar year, breaking a 40-year-old New Zealand record held by Sir Richard Hadlee, and he rose to number one in the ICC T20I bowling rankings, as reported by Cricbuzz.
His best ODI figures before Wellington had been 3 for 35, a mark he equalled on 7 November 2026. In the second ODI against India at the Hnry Stadium, New Zealand had been bowled out for 134, with Daryl Mitchell scoring 55. Duffy then struck with his very first ball of the innings, removing India captain Shubman Gill for a first-ball duck, caught by Henry Nicholls at second slip. In his next over he had Virat Kohli caught at cover by Will Young for seven. He later added Naman Dhir, caught by Tim Seifert, to finish with 3 for 35 from seven overs, as reported by ESPNcricinfo. India reached 113 for 7 in 26 overs before rain ended the match, winning by four runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Personal Life
Jacob Duffy is married to Natasha Cameron, now Natasha Duffy, and the couple keep a low public profile from their home in Southland. Several biography sites give conflicting wedding dates, so this article does not state one. In early 2026, reports from Zee News and Cricbuzz said the couple were expecting their first child in June 2026. No public update on the birth had appeared in the sources checked for this article.
Off the field, Duffy enjoys hiking, fishing and listening to music, as reported by CricToday. His Instagram handle is @duffman_32.
Jacob Duffy Net Worth 2026
Jacob Duffy’s net worth in 2026 has not been publicly disclosed, and no reliable figure exists. Several biography websites estimate it at around Rs 14 crore, or about $1.7 million, but those figures are unverified and contradict each other, so they are not repeated here as fact.
What is verified is his income from cricket. Royal Challengers Bengaluru bought him for Rs 2 crore in the IPL 2026 auction, as reported by StarsUnfolded and IPL salary trackers, and he earns a New Zealand Cricket contract and match fees for his Test, ODI and T20I appearances. The values of those contracts are not made public, so any total net worth figure circulating online should be treated as guesswork.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Jacob Duffy?
Jacob Duffy is 32 years old. He was born on 2 August 1994 in Lumsden, Southland, New Zealand.
How tall is Jacob Duffy?
Jacob Duffy is 6 feet tall (183 cm), according to CREX, Sportsdunia and CricToday. One biography site lists him slightly shorter at 5 feet 11 inches, which explains the small differences between sources.
Who is Jacob Duffy’s wife?
Jacob Duffy is married to Natasha Cameron, now Natasha Duffy. The couple keep a low public profile, and reports in early 2026 said they were expecting their first child in June 2026.
What is Jacob Duffy’s net worth in 2026?
His net worth has not been publicly disclosed. Online estimates of around Rs 14 crore exist, but they are unverified. His known IPL earnings include a Rs 2 crore Royal Challengers Bengaluru contract for the 2026 season.
When did Jacob Duffy make his international debut?
Jacob Duffy made his international debut in a T20I against Pakistan on 18 December 2020, taking 4 for 33 and winning Player of the Match. His ODI debut came on 12 July 2022 against Ireland, and his Test debut on 7 August 2025 against Zimbabwe.
What were Jacob Duffy’s figures in the 2nd ODI vs India on 7 November 2026?
Jacob Duffy took 3 for 35 from seven overs at Wellington, dismissing Shubman Gill for a first-ball duck, Virat Kohli for seven, and Naman Dhir. The figures equalled his career-best ODI bowling of 3 for 35.
