Jhye Richardson is an Australian cricketer recognized for his right-arm fast bowling. Despite his modest height of 178 cm and light frame of around 70 kg, Richardson pursued a career as a pace bowler, overcoming initial discouragement from coaches who typically associated fast bowling with taller and heavier cricketers.

Richardson made his List A debut for Western Australia on 21 October 2015 in the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup. His inclusion in the squad for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in December 2015 marked the beginning of his journey on the international stage. On 16 January 2016, Richardson debuted in the Twenty20 format for the Perth Scorchers during the Big Bash League (BBL) season of 2015–16. Shortly after, on 15 March 2016, he made his first-class debut for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield.

During the 2016–17 Big Bash League season, Richardson took 11 wickets for the Scorchers and played a crucial role in the final, taking 3/30 against the Sydney Sixers, which earned him the player of the match title. In November 2018, Richardson achieved his career-best figures in a first-class match, taking 8/47 in the first innings against New South Wales at Optus Stadium.

In February 2021, Richardson was acquired by the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction ahead of the 2021 season. He was also selected to play for the Welsh Fire in the inaugural season of The Hundred tournament in 2021. Richardson's IPL journey continued when the Mumbai Indians bought him in the 2023 auction. However, he missed the 2023 IPL season due to surgery for hamstring issues. In the 2024 IPL auction, Richardson was bought by the Delhi Capitals.

Richardson's international career began when he was named in Australia's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for the series against Sri Lanka in February 2017. He made his T20I debut on 19 February 2017 against Sri Lanka at Kardinia Park, Geelong. In January 2018, Richardson was included in Australia's One Day International (ODI) squad for the series against England, making his ODI debut on 19 January 2018.

Later, in January 2018, Richardson was named in Australia's Test squad for their series against South Africa in March, although he did not play. In April 2018, he was awarded a national contract by Cricket Australia for the 2018–19 season.

In January 2019, Richardson was named in the squad for the ODI series against India. He played the first game at the Sydney Cricket Ground, returning with figures of 4/26, including the wicket of Indian captain Virat Kohli. This performance helped Australia secure its 1,000th international win across all formats. Later that month, Richardson was added to Australia's Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka, replacing the injured Josh Hazlewood. He made his Test debut on 24 January 2019, taking three wickets in the first innings.

Richardson was recognized for his potential and performance when he was awarded the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year at the Allan Border Medal ceremony 2018. In March 2019, he played in the final three matches of Australia's ODI series against India, claiming eight wickets and contributing to Australia's comeback from a 0–2 series deficit to win the series 3–2.

During the subsequent series against Pakistan in the UAE in March 2019, Richardson dislocated his shoulder while diving in the outfield during the second match. Despite this setback, he was named in Australia's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup in April 2019. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recognized him as one of the five exciting talents making their Cricket World Cup debut. However, due to his shoulder injury, Richardson was later ruled out of the tournament and was replaced by Kane Richardson.

In December 2021, Richardson achieved a significant milestone in his Test career by taking his first five-wicket haul during the second Ashes match against England.

In March 2023, Richardson underwent surgery to address persistent hamstring issues, which caused him to miss the 2023 IPL season. Despite this, his reputation and potential remained intact, leading to his acquisition by the Delhi Capitals in the 2024 IPL auction.