[2] A left-handed batter and part-time right arm off-spin bowler, Head is contracted to South Australia, and the Adelaide Strikers for domestic matches at the state level, and the Big Bash League respectively[3] Head has served as both a co vice-captain and vice-captain in Tests in multiple stints.

[7][8] Hailing from Craigmore in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, Head played at underage levels for the Craigmore Cricket Club[9] and Trinity College,[10] Head represented South Australia at both under-17 and under-19 level, making his debut in the National Under-19 Championships at the age of 17.

[14] Head went on to play 18 under-19 One Day International (ODI) matches for the Australian national team, including at the 2012 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

[20] He subsequently played a single Twenty20 game for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, replacing the injured Kieron Pollard in the team.

[22][23] Head was one of six young Australian players to be part of the inaugural Ageas Bowl International Cricket Academy during the 2013 season, training at the ground's facilities.

[24] In the early part of Head's career, he struggled to reach his maiden first-class century, instead finishing with scores in the nineties on multiple occasions.

At the beginning of the season he became the third Australian in history to score a double century in a List A match with 202 runs from 120 balls.

[32] Head's form was rewarded by national selectors when he was included in Australia's squad for a series of Twenty20 Internationals against India.

[38] Head was brought into Australia's One Day International (ODI) squad for the first time for a tri-series in the West Indies.

[40] After the tournament he joined the IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore[41] before going to England to play County cricket for Yorkshire.

[42] In his fourth match for Yorkshire he broke the club's record for the highest List A batting partnership, putting on 274 runs for the third wicket with Jack Leaning.

Though he was originally not included in the squad, the selectors decided that they needed to give younger players more experience in Asian conditions after they had lost the first two matches of the Test series.

[44] As Head was part of Australia's squad for their tour of South Africa, he was unable to captain the Redbacks in the Matador Cup.

[47] This resulted in Head scoring his maiden ODI century against Pakistan on Australia Day at Adelaide Oval.

[49] Despite his strong form in One Day Internationals and in domestic cricket, averaging over 60 in the 2016–17 Sheffield Shield season, Head was not included in Australia's Test squad for the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, though the then Australian coach Darren Lehmann said "We expect him in the not-too-distant future to get his chance in Test cricket.

[38] When limited overs opener Aaron Finch returned to form, Head was dropped back to the middle order, though he remained in the Australian side for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.

[52] Head signed to play for Yorkshire again in the 2017 NatWest t20 Blast, but he pulled out of the tournament when he was named the captain of the Australia A side for the 2017 South Africa A Team Tri-Series.

[54] Head started the 2017–18 Sheffield Shield season as one of many players in contention to take Australia's number 6 spot in the upcoming Ashes against England.

[73] On 16 July 2020, Head was named in a 26-man preliminary squad of players to begin training ahead of a possible tour to England following the COVID-19 pandemic.

[87] In the second Test in Adelaide, Head scored a career-best 175 in the first innings, putting on 297 runs for the fourth wicket with Marnus Labuschagne.

[95] In the 2023 WTC final at The Oval, Head scored his first overseas Test century and sixth overall (163), putting on 285 runs with Steven Smith for the fifth wicket in the first innings.

[105] In January 2022, Head was included in the 16-man squad to face Sri Lanka in a five-match T20I series; he last played white ball cricket for Australia in 2018.

[106] In February, Cricket Australia announced that Head would miss the start of the series to play in the Sheffield Shield, and would join the squad in Melbourne.

[108] In the first ODI, his first since November 2018, he made his second century (101 off 72 deliveries) opening the batting, took two wickets and was named player of the match.

[115] After missing the home series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand due to paternity leave, Head was included in the ODI squad to face England in November 2022, replacing the now-retired Aaron Finch as opener.

[121] Head was named in the Australian squad for the 2023 Cricket World Cup, but did not play in the tournament until Australia's match against New Zealand on 28 October, as he continued to recover from his injury.

[131][132][133] He also became only the second player to score a century in a World Cup final during a run chase after Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva.

[136] His innings of 137 also turned out to be the highest individual score in a World Cup final when batting second (while chasing), surpassing the previous record of 107 not out held by Aravinda de Silva.

[149] In the first T20I against England Head made a rapid half-century, including 30 runs in an over bowled by Sam Curran, earning the player of the match award.

[153] In the final ODI, Head took career-best figures of 4/28, and then made a brisk 31 to keep Australia ahead of the DLS score and guide his team to victory.