A promising batsman, Robert O' Donnell has somehow not been able to convert his undeniable talent into runs for Auckland. Spotted at a very young age, O' Donnell was one of the very few players to have represented their country in consecutive Under-19 World Cups. He was part of the 2012 team that reached the semi-final of the prestigious age-group tournament and was named as the captain for the 2014 edition of the tournament.

O'Donnell showed early promise when he cracked a fine 80 for New Zealand XI against the visiting Indian team in 2014, but has since then not lived up to the enormous expectations. Two hundreds in 35 first-class games are average returns for a batsman filled with class although Auckland continue to show their trust in him. He was offered a fresh one-year contract which will keep him with the state for the 2018-19 domestic season.