Former Under-19 World Cup winning captain Unmukt Chand on Tuesday became the first Indian male cricketer to play in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL). The right-handed batsman made his debut for the Melbourne Renegades against the Hobart Hurricanes.
Chand is playing under Australia’s limited overs captain Aaron Finch which will also have Shaun Marsh.
The 28-year-old took time out for his playing career in India last year and has been plying his trade in various leagues across the world.
Chand, a former India A captain, had never played for the Indian senior team but was part of three IPL franchises – Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. He had a domestic career spanning over a decade, which included 67 first-class matches.
Chand exploded on the international stage as a teenager at the 2012 ICC Under-19 World Cup in Australia. He was the Player of the Match in the final, scoring an unbeaten 111 against the Aussies, which featured a host of now-BBL stars including the likes of Travis Head and Ashton Turner.
In 2019, Chand moved to Uttarakhand in search of stability, but was dropped due to indifferent performance within a year. He eventually stepped away from Indian cricket and moved to the United States in search of opportunities.
T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemima Rodrigues, the second leading run-scorer in the inaugural edition of The Hundred, have been signed by Melbourne Renegades.
Young and ICC T20I top-order batsman, Shafali Verma was signed by Sydney Sixers along with bowler Radha Yadav.
Opener Smriti Mandhana, who became the first woman from India to score a century in the Pink Ball Test, and her teammate all-rounder Deepti Sharma were signed by Sydney Thunder.
Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh was signed by Hobart Hurricanes. The eighth and last overseas player is bowler Poonam Yadav who was signed by Brisbane Heat.