[8][9] Billings has said that he was "nowhere near good enough"[9] to become a professional cricketer before his time at university and credits it with encouraging him to work hard to develop his talent.

[10] During the 2011 season he also made his List A debut for Kent against the Netherlands in the 2011 Clydesdale Bank 40, standing in for regular wicket-keeper Geraint Jones.

[10] After leading the county in one day runs scored in 2012, Billings replaced former England wicket-keeper Jones in Kent's 2013 Friends Life t20 campaign.

[15][16][17] After spending the winter playing one-day international cricket with England and featuring in both the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 competitions, Billings returned to Kent at the end of May having missed six County Championship matches as well as the start of both one-day competitions.

[1][25] Following Sam Northeast's removal as Kent captain in early 2018 Billings was appointed to the post as his replacement, despite some disquiet about his participation in the 2018 Indian Premier League.

[28] Billings was first called into the England Performance Programme in 2014 and took part in a training camp in Sri Lanka during the represented the English winter.

Billings made his senior England international debut in an ODI against the touring New Zealand team in June 2015, playing as a batsman and scoring three runs.

[44] He played for the Lions against Pakistan A in Dubai in January 2016,[15] against South Africa in 2016 and was selected for the England squad for the 2016 World Twenty20 competition.

[39][53] He was an unused member of the England squad for the 2017 Champions Trophy but played against Ireland, South Africa and West Indies during the summer of 2017.

[55] He played in all five T20I matches on the tour, although he only scored 34 runs in his five innings and was not selected for the limited-overs side in South Africa early 2020.

[56] In May 2020, he was named in a group of 55 players to begin behind closed doors training ahead of international fixtures starting in England following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the return of more established players for matches at the end of the summer against Australia, Billings played in only the last T20I of the three-match series, but was selected for the opening ODI.

[64] Following an injury to Ben Foakes in May 2021, Billings was added to England's Test squad for the first time ahead of the series against New Zealand.

Following injuries to both of the side's wicket-keepers, Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow, Billings was added to the team as a replacement, having been playing in the Big Bash League for Sydney Thunder, driving more than 500 miles (800 km) from Brisbane as a precaution against COVID-19.

[75] He was the side's top-scorer in the second ODI of the series, showing "the necessary grit" to build an innings of 77 runs after England had lost early wickets.

[81][82][83] In 2018 Billings was with England in New Zealand at the start of the tournament and, despite joining Islamabad towards the end of the group stage, did not play a match during the PSL season.

[92] In particular, he cited the influence of Delhi's coach Rahul Dravid and had approached the IPL, which he rated as a "phenomenal experience",[18] with the intention of developing his skills, particularly against spin bowling.

[23][92][93][94] He has credited the experience of working with players from around the world as a major factor in the improvement of his game, from the use of different training methods to eating more effectively.

[96][97][98] He made his debut for the Sixers in the opening match of the tournament, taking two catches as the team beat Sydney Thunder by nine wickets.

[83][99] After appearing in the Sixers first five matches of the tournament, Billings left the team to join the England squad in India at the beginning of January 2017.

[104] In 2018 he captained Bengal Tigers in the T10 League played in the United Arab Emirates[105] having been picked second in the competition's draft in July.

In February 2021, he was bought again by Delhi ahead of the 2021 Indian Premier League, missing the start of Kent's season, although he did not play a match for the side during the competition.

[110] In February 2022, he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the 2022 Indian Premier League, once more mission the start of Kent's domestic season.

[62] In July 2022 Billings set a new County Championship record of 12 catches in a match as his Kent side beat Warwickshire.