James Douglas Sheahan Neesham better known as James Neesham embarked on his cricketing journey at a tender age representing Auckland in domestic cricket. He also plays in various T20 leagues around the globe as All-rounder. Neesham rose to prominence as a promising all-rounder during the U-19 World Cup of 2010. Within two years of his first-class debut, he earned a call-up to New Zealand's T20I squad for the series against South Africa in 2012-2013.

Neesham began his first-class career with Auckland, but a move to Otago worked well for him, as he made some important contributions in the 50-over format in the 2011-12 season, making three 40-plus scores in seven innings.

Neesham's international debut came in 2012 when he was selected for the T20I series against South Africa. He played his first ODI against the same opposition in January 2013. His Test debut followed in February 2014 against India in Wellington and scored 137. It was the highest score by a debutant playing at number 8. His century helped New Zealand seal the win at the tournament.

In his early international career, Neesham demonstrated his potential with several notable performances. He scored his maiden ODI century against India in January 2014, helping New Zealand chase down a target of 279. Later that year, he recorded his highest Test score of 137 not out against the West Indies in Jamaica.

The Kiwi all-rounder made his IPL debut in 2014 where he played only 4 games for Delhi and was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the following season.

Neesham's all-round abilities were further highlighted during the 2015 Cricket World Cup, where he played a crucial role in New Zealand's campaign. He scored 232 runs at an average of 33.14 and took 15 wickets at an average of 19.40. His standout performance came against Afghanistan, where he claimed career-best figures of 5/31. Despite his contributions, Neesham faced challenges in cementing his place in the New Zealand side. He was in and out of the team due to inconsistency and injuries. However, he continued to work hard on his game and remained a valuable player in domestic cricket.

In 2016, he played for Derbyshire in the 2016 NatWest T20 Blast.

Neesham was part of the one-day side over the next two seasons but was dropped after the 2017 Champions Trophy. He was ready to retire but was talked out of it and asked instead to take a break from the game.

He returned in 2018 and dominated domestic one-day cricket scoring 503 runs at an average of 62.87 with a strike rate of 110.79, which earned him an international recall to face Sri Lanka.

In 2019, Neesham made a comeback to the New Zealand squad for the Cricket World Cup in England. He played a vital role in the team's success, particularly in the nail-biting final against England. Neesham scored 13 runs off 5 balls in the Super Over, helping New Zealand tie the match.

Neesham made his comeback to the tournament in the 2020 season, participating in 5 games for the Punjab Kings. He had an ordinary season with the bat and ball considering his potential and his achievements at the International stage.

The Mumbai Indians bought the all-rounder in the 2021 auctions for INR 50 lakh and played 3 games.

Following the World Cup, Neesham continued to be a regular member of the New Zealand limited-overs squad. He showcased his all-round skills in various series and tournaments, including the 2021 T20 World Cup, where he played a key role in New Zealand's run to the final.

Ahead of the 2022 season, RR picked him for INR 1.5 crore. On May 2022, he played his last IPL match against Lucknow at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, India, scoring 14 runs off 12 balls.

After hopping across multiple IPL teams, James Neesham had to skip the 2024 edition of the tournament as he went unsold.