{{Short description|Australian cricketer (born 2000)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Use Australian English|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Blake Nikitaras | image = Blake Nikitaras 01 20251017.jpg | caption = Nikitaras playing First Class cricket with New South Wales in October 2025 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|4|29|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Mount Lawley, Western Australia]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Blake Nikitaras {{!}} cricket.com.au |url=https://www.cricket.com.au/players/CA:1956/blake-nikitaras |website=www.cricket.com.au |access-date=21 February 2024 |language=en |date=6 February 2024}}</ref> | batting = Left-handed | bowling = Left-arm [[Fast bowling|medium]] | role = [[Batter (cricket)|Batter]] | family = [[Steve Nikitaras]] (father) | club1 = [[New South Wales cricket team|New South Wales]] | year1 = {{nowrap|2021/22–2025/26}} | clubnumber1 = 45 | club2 = [[Sydney Thunder]] | year2 = 2022/23–present | clubnumber2 = 47

| hidedeliveries = true | columns = 3

| column1 = [[First-class cricket|FC]] | matches1 = 18 | runs1 = 738 | bat avg1 = 22.36 | 100s/50s1 = 0/3 | top score1 = 56 | catches/stumpings1 = 8/–

| column2 = [[List A cricket|LA]] | matches2 = 2 | runs2 = 25 | bat avg2 = 12.50 | 100s/50s2 = 0/0 | top score2 = 20 | catches/stumpings2 = 1/–

| column3 = [[Twenty20|T20]] | matches3 = 3 | runs3 = 9 | bat avg3 = 4.50 | 100s/50s3 = 0/0 | top score3 = 8 | catches/stumpings3 = 1/–

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/blake-nikitaras-1169066 Cricinfo | date = 17 October | year = 2025 }}

'''Blake Nikitaras''' (born 29 April 2000) is an Australian cricketer who plays for [[New South Wales cricket team|New South Wales]] and [[Sydney Thunder]]. He is a left-handed batsman. He is the son of former state cricketer [[Steve Nikitaras]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/blake-nikitaras-1169066|title=Blake Nikitaras|website=Espncricinfo}}</ref>

==Early life== Nikitaras is of Greek descent. Nikitaras is from [[Oak Flats, New South Wales|Oak Flats]] in the [[Illawarra]] region of [[New South Wales]]. He plays for [[St George Cricket Club]] in [[Sydney Grade Cricket|NSW Premier Cricket]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/8013406/nikitaras-hoping-to-strike-for-sydney-thunder/|title= Nikitaras hoping to strike for Sydney Thunder in upcoming Big Bash League|website=Illawaramercury.com|date= 9 December 2022}}</ref>

==Career== Ahead of the 2020-21 season Nikitaras injured his anterior cruciate ligament playing a friendly game of basketball and missed the majority of the season instead rehabbing for months at the [[Australian Institute of Sport]] in [[Canberra]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cricket.com.au/news/nsw-blues-mens-contract-list-squad-2022-23-nikitaras-kerr-hadley-smith-warner-cummins-hazlewood/2022-05-11|title= Kerr, Nikitaras headline Blues inclusions for 2022-23|website=Cricket.com}}</ref>

In March 2022 Nikitaras made his first-class debut for [[New South Wales cricket team|New South Wales]] scoring 44 and 56 against the [[South Australia cricket team]] in the [[Sheffield Shield]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/7677177/oak-flats-talent-blake-nikitaras-eyeing-new-goal-after-making-sheffield-shield-debut/|title= Oak Flats' Blake Nikitaras makes impressive Sheffield Shield debut for NSW Blues|website=Illawarra Mercury|date= 29 March 2022}}</ref> This earned him a rookie deal with NSW for the 2022-23 season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theroar.com.au/2022/09/10/can-they-live-up-to-the-promise-nsw-squad-breakdown/|title= Can they live up to the promise? NSW squad breakdown|website=theroar.com.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cricketnsw.com.au/news/bluescontracts2223/2022-05-11|title=Blues contract list: 'Mature aged' Shield debutants ink deals|website=cricketnsw.com}}</ref>

In December 2022 Nikitaras was given a contract for the [[Big Bash League]] with [[Sydney Thunder]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sydneythunder.com.au/news/blake-signs/2022-12-12|title=YOUNG GUN BLAKE NIKITARAS SIGNS WITH THUNDER|website=Sydneythunder.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url= https://babacric.in/bbl/bbl-12-sydney-thunder-sign-blake-nikitaras/|title= BBL 12: Sydney Thunder sign Blake Nikitaras|website=babacric.in|date= 12 December 2022}}</ref>

Nikitaras was delisted by New South Wales at the end of the [[2025-26 Sheffield Shield|2025-26 season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cricketnsw.com.au/news/4502065/nsw-blues-2026-27-squad-locked-in|title=NSW Blues' 2026-27 squad locked in|publisher=[[New South Wales cricket team]]|date=12 May 2026}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{commons category}} {{Sydney Thunder current squad}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nikitaras, Blake}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Australian cricketers]] [[Category:New South Wales cricketers]] [[Category:Sydney Thunder cricketers]] [[Category:Cricketers from New South Wales]] [[Category:2000 births]] [[Category:People from the Illawarra]] [[Category:St George cricketers]] [[Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen]]

{{Australia-cricket-bio-2000s-stub}}