Former U-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 batter made his debut for Melbourne Renegades against Hobart Hurricanes. Chand had retired from Indian cricket in 2021. He re-located to the USA last year. Later, he was signed by the franchise Melbourne Renegades for the 2021-22 season of the T20 league. A few days ago he took a dig at the franchise for not giving him a game in the ongoing season. He took to Twitter and posted a sarcastic message that read, “Feels more like a vacation. Thanks Melbourne!!”
A week later, the Renegades made it official that they are handing a debut to the batsman from Delhi. Unmukt received his cap ahead of his team’s clash with Hobart Hurricanes at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium. He will take the field under the leadership of Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch. Unmukt, who had also led India A team, never got an opportunity to play in the senior Indian side. However, he had represented three IPL franchises – Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals. His domestic career spanned more than a decade during which he played 67 First-class games, scoring 3379 runs and more than 4500 runs in 120 List A matches.
