An explosive right-handed batsman has joined Kent on a three-year deal.
Chris Benjamin, 25, arrives at Kent from Warwickshire on a contract which will run until the end of the 2027 season.
Benjamin said: “I’m excited to be joining Kent and having the opportunity to play regularly across multiple formats.
“There is a young squad here that will only improve over time, and there’s a clear plan for Kent to return to the highs of their recent successes in the future.
“It’s an exciting project.”
Benjamin, who can also keep wicket, had a breakout debut year in 2021, announcing his arrival in the inaugural edition of The Hundred competition. He scored a match-winning innings for Birmingham Phoenix of 24 not out after only just signing his first professional contract.
He scored 127 on County Championship debut for Warwickshire and has scored 50 or more on multiple occasions across all three formats, including 50 on List A debut and 60 on his T20 Blast debut.
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But Benjamin has only played one County Championship game in each of the past two campaigns and averages 24.50 overall from 14 red-ball matches and 24 innings.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Benjamin, who has a current career T20 batting strike rate of 138.41, holds a British passport and qualifies as a domestic player.
Director of cricket Simon Cook added: “We’re delighted to have attracted a player of Chris’ talent to Kent on a long-term contract.
“He is still a young player with a lot of potential to improve further, and we’re pleased for Kent to be the place for him to do so.”
Benjamin is Kent’s first close-season recruit, as they start to prepare for life in County Championship Division 2 from 2025, and will be playing under a new Kent head coach after Matt Walker’s departure.
