Unmukt Chand Becomes the First Indian Man to Play in BBL

Last week, Former Under-19 World Cup captain Unmukt Chand made history as the first Indian Male cricket player to get into the BBL. The world cup-winning captain had previously taken a jibe at the Melbourne Renegades for not getting the chance to participate in any BBL matches until this month.

The right-handed batsman made his BBL debut for the Melbourne Renegades, going against the Hobart Hurricanes. The 28-year-old cricketer will be playing under Aussie skipper Aaron Finch and will also include Shaun Marsh.

Chand has called time in his career in India in 2021 and is currently playing in different leagues around the world. The former Indian skipper previously played for the country’s senior team, but with three IPL franchises – the Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, and the Rajasthan Royals. Indian Cricket fans can bet on all these teams at onlinecricketbets.in or wager on the top batsman in all their games.

Bursting on the international stage in 2012 during the ICC U-19 World cup, Chand had a great domestic career that lasted over a decade with 67 first-class matches. During the u-19 world cup competition held in Australia, the Indian skipper managed to be the player of the match during the final, after scoring 111 points against Australia. The Australian side featured a host of current BBL stars, including cricketers like Ashton Turner and Travis Head.

In 2019, Unmukt traveled to Uttarakhand to search for stability and he left within the year following indifferent performances. The Indian cricketer later stepped away from the cricket scene in the country, moving to the US in search of greener pastures.

The Delhi cricketer was signed by the Renegades last November and later took a jibe for not being selected for the BBL which allows the teams to choose up to three overseas in their playing XI. Chand complained about not being given the chance in the competition, despite being highly experienced in the T20 cricket format. The 28-year-old has also gathered lots of experience from playing first-class domestic matches.

In the meantime, eight Indian cricketers were picked for last season’s women’s BBL. The Melbourne Renegades signed T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues (the second run-scorer in The Hundred’s inaugural edition). ICC’s T20I top-ranking batter Shafali Verma joined the Sydney Sixers alongside bowler Rapha Yadav, while opener Smitri Mandana and all-rounder Deepti Sharma got signed by the Sydney Thunder. Additionally, the Hobart Hurricanes signed Richa Ghosh and the Brisbane Heat signed bowler Poonam Yadav.