T20 Vitality Blast Preview: Who Are This Year’s Favourites?

The Vitality T20 Blast returns on Friday, with every county looking to write their name into the history books by winning on finals day at Edgbaston in July.

In this piece we’ll take a more detailed look into the five favourites for this year’s competition.

Lancashire Lightning 

Captain: Keaton Jennings
Overseas players: Chris Green (Australia, all) and Ben McDermott (Australia, all)
Finals Day appearances: 10 (2004, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2025)
Titles: One (2015)
2025 finish: Semi-finalists
2025 leading run-scorer: Keaton Jennings (459)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Luke Wood (22)

Key winter moves: Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Ben McDermott has joined the Lightning after being part of the Hampshire team that beat them in the 2022 final. McDermott’s Australian compatriot Chris Green who has impressed as an all-rounder in recent years has renewed for a third campaign with Lancashire. Fellow all-rounder Paul Coughlin has signed from Durham.

What’s stopping Lancashire Lightning from winning? Can the Lightning cope without Luke Wells, Ajeet Singh Dale and Arav Shetty who have all had surgery and are long-term injury absentees? It stretched the squad during the first block of County Championship matches. The loss of Wells would seem a particular blow given his capabilities with bat, ball and in the field.

One to watch: Despite not being an unknown quantity Mitch Stanley, 25, who has appeared for the English Lions has impressed in his role as a fast bowler.

Stanley has suffered with injuries in the past so has yet to prove himself in the T20 format and has only featured in 18 matches since his debut in the competition four years ago.

Final thought: Lancashire have only been successful in one of their ten finals day appearances with their triumph coming eleven years ago in 2015. The availability of English trio Jos Butler, Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt will be crucial in their pursuit of a second title.

It’s likely that the trio will be part of England’s squad to face India for a limited overs international series but if the Lightning can utilise them for the majority of the campaign they’ll have every chance of lifting the trophy on July 18^th.

Hampshire Hawks

Captain: James Vince
Overseas players: Delano Potgieter (South Africa, until Tristan Stubbs arrives), Tristan Stubbs (South Africa, after IPL), Hilton Cartwright (Australia, all)
Finals Day appearances: 11 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025)
Titles: Three (2010, 2012, 2022)
2025 finish: Runners-up
2025 leading run-scorer: Toby Albert (633)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Scott Currie (27)

Key winter moves: It has been an off-season full of change for the Hawks with Adi Birrell replacing Russell Domingo as Head Coach alongside the departure of semi-final hero Chris Lynn to Northamptonshire Steelbacks.

Despite Lynn’s departure Hampshire will be boosted by the arrival of Tristan Stubbs who will join up with the side once his stint in the IPL is complete. Hilton Cartwright will also return following a spell last year.

Can the Vitality Blast revitalise Hampshire’s season? Hampshire have had a nightmare start to the County Championship this year winning just one match from six. They sit bottom of the table in Division 1 with an uphill battle ahead. Despite this, in T20 cricket the Hawks often perform at their best, appearing at three of the last four finals days and winning the Blast in 2022.

Wildcard watch: Toby Albert is one to watch going into this year’s competition. The top run scorer of last year’s blast was overlooked at the recent Hundred Auction after being moved to open, scoring six half centuries in the Hawks’ run to the final.

Final thought: Losing last year’s final will still sting, but Hampshire have never been a side to dwell on setbacks. Instead, they’ll be back with renewed intent as they chase a fourth T20 Blast title and the chance to make history. As ever, the squad looks well balanced, built around the reliability of James Vince, Chris Wood and Liam Dawson, with experienced overseas options adding further control. Around them, Joe Weatherley, Scott Currie and Toby Albert provide clarity in their roles, while Ben Mayes and Manny Lumsden offer youthful depth if needed.

Surrey

Captain: Sam Curran
Overseas players: Sean Abbott (Australia, all)
Finals Day appearances: Nine (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2020, 2023, 2024)
Titles: One (2003)
2025 finish: Quarter-finals
2025 leading run-scorer: Will Jacks (504)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Sam Curran (21)

Key winter moves: A huge for Surrey was the return of Australian all-rounder Sean Abbot, for this fourth stint. Abbot’s return was announced just before the start of the season and he will be available throughout the entire Blast competition alongside Surrey’s first eight County Championship games where they sit 7^th in Division 1.

Why haven’t Surrey won the Blast since 2003? Nobody really knows why Surrey have struggled to replicate the success of 2003. Despite reaching Finals day on eight occasions since, Surrey haven’t been able to get over the line.

With a star-studded squad this year they’re setup to stop the streak of near-misses and lift the trophy at Edgbaston.

A teenager to light up the blast? With 16 players already signed up by The Hundred franchises, 18-year-old Ralphie Albert looks like one of the strongest candidates to become the 17th. The left-arm spinner also offers handy runs with the bat and impressed while representing England Under-19s last winter. Still at the start of his career, he is already drawing attention as one of the more exciting young prospects in the game. He also has a famous sporting link, as the grandson of snooker legend Jimmy White.

Final thought: After making 10 appearances in last year’s blast and impressing with his batting ability Ollie Sykes, 21, is set to make his mark on this hugely impressive Surrey squad. Surrey crashed out to Northamptonshire in the quarter-final last year, resulting in the pressure really cranking up ahead of the opening night on Friday.

Somerset

Captain: Lewis Gregory
Overseas players: Riley Meredith (Australia, seventh group game onwards), Daniel Sams (Australia, all)
Finals Day appearances: 11 (2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
Titles: Three (2005, 2023, 2025)
2025 finish: Winners
2025 leading run-scorer: Will Smeed (620)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Riley Meredith (28)

Key winter moves: It’s been a winter full of change at Somerset with the departures of Sean Dickson, Ben Green and Kasey Aldrige leaving for Glamorgan, Lecestershire and Durham being confirmed.

Last year’s overseas signing Matt Henry also won’t be playing for Somerset this year with no plans for him to return in place.

Despite this Surrey have managed to bring in Josh Shaw from Gloucestershire in what promises to be an exciting move.

What impact can Daniel Sams make? Sams, 33, boasts more than 2,000 runs and 250 wickets in T20 cricket around the world, particularly impressing in the IPL, Big Bash, CPL and PSL while also gaining experience in England, appearing for Essex and Nottinghamshire.

English youngster set to star: Thomas Rew, the England Men Under-19 captain, earned an £80,000 Hundred deal with Southern Brave after featuring three times in last summer’s Blast as a 17-year-old. There is a view that while older brother James is more naturally suited to red-ball cricket and working on his white-ball game, Thomas offers the opposite profile. He has recently been focused on his A Levels, but with those now completed he will be available more regularly, bringing aggressive batting to the middle order as well as providing a wicketkeeping option.

Final thought: Somerset will be without Riley Meredith for the opening six Blast group games after the Australian seamer was called into the ODI squad for series against Pakistan and Bangladesh. While not a completely unforeseen blow, it still leaves a noticeable gap in their attack given his pace and wicket-taking threat. Meredith finished last season with 28 wickets and was a key strike option with the new ball. The club could look to register Migael Pretorius as an overseas option or move for a late signing, but replacing that genuine speed will be no easy task.

Warwickshire Bears

Captain: Ed Barnard
Overseas players: Usman Tariq (Pakistan, all), Beau Webster (Australia, all)
Finals Day appearances: Four (2002, 2014, 2015, 2017)
Titles: One (2014)
2025 finish: Quarter-finals
2025 leading run-scorer: Alex Davies (464)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Hasan Ali (25)

Key winter moves: Pakistan off-spinner Usman Tariq is the most exciting addition to a bowling attack which has lost its key man in Danny Briggs. Tariq will be joined by Beau Webster and his super ability as an all-rounder.

Can the Bears expel their quarter-final jinx? It is the question that has hung over the Bears for five years: can they finally end their quarter-final hoodoo? First of all, they have to get there, which is never straightforward in the Blast, but even if they do, history is firmly against them. Five straight quarter-final defeats tell their own story, and that run has to be put to bed if they are going to turn promise into progress.

Wildcard watch: Ethan Bamber – T20 games are decided by cricketers who make things happen and Bamber is very much in that category. A wicket-taker with the ball and capable of blistering cameos with the bat.

A lot of times cricket comes down to those players who can make things happen. Ethan Bamber is a man who can make this happen. A consistent wicket taker and a player who can also hit boundaries, he’ll be key to any success the Bears can achieve this year.

Final thought: Frustration has been the constant feeling in and around Edgbaston regarding the Bears. Five quarter-final defeats on the bounce, forcing Bears fans to watch other teams play in Finals day in their stadium. Can they go one step further this year?