India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Unmukt Chand has become the first Indian to officially play in the Big Bash League, Australia’s domestic T20 competition after he received his maiden cap from the Melbourne Renegades, the franchise which had signed him before the start of the tournament.
Prior to coming to Melbourne, Chand, who represented Delhi in the Indian domestic circuit and had moved to Uttrakahad off late, went to the United States and played in their domestic competitions.
The 28-year-old moved to the US after having lost all his hopes of making it big in Indian cricket as he was unable to make a mark in the Indian domestic circuit even after playing 67 First Class, 120 List A and 77 T20 games.
In total, he has scored 18 centuries and 53 half-centuries in all formats combined, but could never have a perfect season to knock at the doors of the Indian national team. Now, in his second innings, he has chosen the USA and hopes to start afresh with his BBL campaign. He is playing his first game against Hobart Hurricanes.
Chand had scored a century in the final of the 2012 Under-19 World Cup against the hosts Australia to lift the World Cup.