Christopher De Freitas
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 6 February 2002 Welkom, Free State, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batting all-rounder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| T20I debut (cap 43) | 5 April 2026 v France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 9 April 2026 v France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–present | Leinster Lightning | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 11 August 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Christopher De Freitas (born 6 February 2002) is a South African-born Portuguese cricketer who plays for the Portugal national cricket team and plays for Leinster Lightning in Irish domestic cricket.[1] He made his first-class debut for Emerging Ireland in the series against West Indies Academy on 18 June 2024.[2]
Early life and education
De Freitas was born on 6 February 2002 in Welkom in the Free State province. He attended Laerskool Saamtrek school in Klerksdorp and went on to complete his schooling at Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom in Potchefstroom.[1][3] Growing up in South Africa, he was introduced to the game as he played backyard cricket with his brother.
Domestic career
In South Africa, he took part in age-group cricket during his schooling in North West province. He was part of the North West Under-13 squad during the 2015/16 CSA Under-13s Cricket Week, where he played as an all-rounder.[4] During the 2017/18 National Under-15 Week he scored 211 runs, averaging at 35 from six games. Following this performance, he also played for the Lions Cubs team during the 2019-20 Franchise Cubs Week.[3]
In 2021, De Freitas moved to Ireland and was signed by the Balbriggan Cricket Club. He was part of the club's winning run during a number of domestic tournaments. He attributes his growth to the Balbriggan coach and former international, Andre Botha and mentor Wynand Schmitt.[5]
In 2023, he was part of the Leinster Lightning Bolts squad for the Cricket Ireland Future Series.[6] He made his List A debut for Leinster Lightning on 14 August 2023 during the 2023 Inter-Provincial Cup.[7] He finished the season with 120 runs from 3 matches including two half centuries. In the 2024 season, he was awarded the emerging player of the year.[8]
He was part of the eventual champions Leinster's squad during the 2024 Inter-Provincial Trophy and made his Twenty20 (T20) debut on 16 May 2024.[9] After a disappointing season, he made a comeback during the 2025 Inter-Provincial Trophy, finishing as the tournament's third-highest run-scorer with 368 runs in 12 matches and playing a crucial role in Leinster's title triumph.[10] He was also part of the squad that won three back-to-back Inter-Provincial Trophy titles in 2026.
International career
In June 2024, he was named in Emerging Ireland squad for their home series against West Indies Academy.[11] He made his first-class debut on 18 June 2024. He scored 88 runs in the first innings and 26 runs in the second, finishing as the highest run-scorer for the team. In the unofficial ODI series, he finished as the second highest run-scorer with 147 runs in 3 matches including a half-century.
De Freitas had expressed his intention to play for Ireland,[5] but later changed his plans to represent Portugal. He was named in Portugal's squad for the 2026 Portugal Tri-Nation Series and made his Twenty20 International (T20I) debut against France on 5 April 2026.[12] In only his third T20I, he scored a century finishing with a score of 125 in just 54 deliveries, setting the record for the highest individual score by a Portugal player.[13]
In August 2026, he was named in Portugal's squad for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup Europe Sub-regional Qualifier C, which formed part of the qualification pathway for the 2028 Men's T20 World Cup.[14]
References
- 1 2 "Christopher De Freitas". Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "IRE Emerging vs WI Academy, 1st unofficial Test at Comber, WI Academy in IRE, June 18 2024". Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Christopher de Freitas". World Sports Xchange. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "NW Under-13s CSA Under-13s Cricket Week 2015/16 Squad". Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Chris de Freitas: A Star on Ireland's Rise". Balbriggan Cricket Club. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Lightning strikes twice as De Freitas blasts Bolts to victory". Cricket Leinster. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Leinster vs Warriors, 7th Match at Milverton, Cricket Ireland Inter-Provincial Limited Over Cup". Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Chris DeFreitas". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Leinster vs Reds, 8th Match at Dublin, Cricket Ireland Inter-Provincial Twenty20 Trophy 2025". Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Congrats Leinster Lightning - IP20 Champions (2025)". Cricket Ireland. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "EMERGING IRELAND v West Indies Academy". Cricket Ireland. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
- ↑ "Portugal vs France, 2nd Match at Albergaria, Portugal T20 Tri-Series". Cricinfo. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "What a way for @chris.de_freitas41 to announce himself on the international stage - a maiden 100, a brilliant fifty, and a debut series to remember for Portugal". Portuguese Cricket Federation. 13 May 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026 – via Instagram.
- ↑ "Portugal's squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier is locked in". Portuguese Cricket Federation. 10 August 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026 – via Instagram.