'Liberated' Indian star on the verge of BBL history

5.09pm, August 26, 2012

Unmukt Chand, one of India's brightest prospects, walks from Townsville's Tony Ireland Stadium, as his teammates triumphantly storm the field to hug their captain.

His unbeaten 111 has just led his Indian side to victory in the U19 World Cup final against Australia, drawing him the label of the next Virat Kohli.

In the process, the then 19-year-old has taken down some of Australia's future stars – Travis Head, Cameron Bancroft, Jimmy Peirson, Ashton Turner and Kurtis Patterson – in an enthralling chase that went down to the final three overs.

With the game on the line and the required run rate climbing to seven an over, Chand empathically lifted seamer Alex Gregory over cover for six to bring up his century.

Two balls later the Indian skipper took Mark Steketee over the sightscreen to bring the required rate down to two an over and all but ensure victory for his side before he was swamped by elated teammates and draped in the Indian flag after the winning run was struck.

Image Id: 5C1411EA68B946F890297F3A324CDCDE Image Caption: Unmukt Chand with Australian captain Will Bosisto before the U19 World Cup final in 2012 // Getty

Four months earlier Chand had hit another unbeaten century (112no) against Australia in Townsville, this time to lead India to victory in a quadrangular series over an Aussie under-19 attack boasting the nation's new Test captain in Pat Cummins and recent T20 World Cup champion Ashton Agar.

"I always loved playing in Australia," Chand recalled to cricket.com.au last week.

"Good wickets, they play hard cricket, which I always characterise myself as playing as well.

"I love the pace and bounce, it really suits my style of play so I really look forward to playing in Australia."

Success has also helped.

"I came here for the quadrangular under-19 series in Townsville just before the World Cup and we won that, beating Australia in the final and I was captain of that side," he says.

Image Id: 7EB22978BA07451BAB6686505EF21DD0 Image Caption: Unmukt Chand on his way to 111 not out in the 2012 U19 World Cup final // Getty

"Three months later we came for the World Cup in Townsville, we won that again and beat Australia in Australia again.

"In 2014, I came again to Darwin to play the (India A quadrangular) series and we won that as well."

1.38pm, December 2, 2021

Fast-forward nine years and a refreshed, relaxed and newly married Chand sits happily chatting away at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.

His – and India's dreams – of him becoming the country's next batting superstar haven't eventuated but he's on the verge of creating his own history.

It's taken a while, but he seems at peace with not becoming the next Kohli and now he's forging his own path that could open the floodgates for future generations of Indian cricketers.

On his fifth time back to Australia, Chand has become the first Indian men's player to sign for a BBL club.

Ironically, he's again coming up against those future Aussie stars from way back in 2012 with Turner, Patterson and Agar (Perth Scorchers), Joel Paris (Hobart Hurricanes) and Peirson (Brisbane Heat) all regulars in the BBL.

And while he hasn't been picked in the Melbourne Renegades squad for their BBL|11 opener tonight against the Adelaide Strikers at Marvel Stadium as they opted for their other three international recruits, Chand will undoubtedly play a part throughout the season.

The significance of signing for the Renegades is not lost on the 28-year-old, but it's come at quite a cost.

The right-hander had to resign from all professional formats in India run by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to embark on his own journey and he tells cricket.com.au it's a decision he grappled with for more than two years.

The BCCI currently blocks any active male player under its umbrella, regardless of whether they have a national contract or are close to national selection, from joining a T20 franchise outside of the IPL. The same rule doesn't apply for its female cricketers though with eight playing in the WBBL this year.

"That's a big call," Chand says.

"Waking up every day wanting to play for the country was (a dream) since I was five years old.

Image Id: C8D82375F3AE4921B609D086E5B27862 Image Caption: Unmukt Chand bats for the Mumbai Indians during the IPL in 2015 // SPORTZPICS / IPL

"That was a dream to play for the country and giving away that dream was something which is very difficult. It took me some time to get myself in that phase."

Chand says the Big Bash was a competition he always wanted to play in but given his situation in India he never could until now.

"It's really interesting watching the Big Bash," he says.

"I always wanted to play it but obviously (during) the time I was with the BCCI there was no way I could have played it.

"I never would have thought that I would be taking this route, but it came out and I'm really glad that it has."

August 13, 2021

The reason Chand is now comfortable with his decision to forgo the chance of representing India again is due to a choice he made almost four months ago.

Announcing his decision on Twitter to retire from all India cricket, he then revealed he had relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and signed with Major League Cricket on a multi-year agreement to play and support the growth of cricket in the United States.

"It took me a lot of time," Chand says.

"I had an offer from them for the last two years, but I was never really interested.

"But last year, 2020, when Delhi didn't play me (for) a single game for the entire season … I was like I want to look at other opportunities because if this is going to be the way then in two years' time, I'll be 30 and they'll just check me out of the system."

Chand, at 28 years old, knows he still has 10 years of good cricket ahead of him and it shows.

Since signing in the US, he has topped the runs scorers list this season in the Minor League Cricket competition with 612 runs from 16 innings as he led his team Silicon Valley Strikers to the championship title.

"I know that I'm batting really well, and I have that calibre to play good cricket," he says.

"And then when those things don't happen, that's when I said I'll go to the US and see how things are.

"I was not very sure before I went there. I took three months to come to this conclusion.

"I went around the country, I was playing games, I went to the New Jersey, I was in LA, I basically played around the country understanding what the cricket dynamics were because I had no idea when I went there that there is cricket in US."

But after three months he was convinced that cricket was gaining momentum in the US and signed on to be a part of it.

"Since the moment I signed the contract I actually felt liberated," he says.

"I've been actually enjoying my cricket post (making the decision) because playing in India was always a lot of pressure.

"It's always a lot of pressure because every innings it's because you want to play for the country, it soaks you in and sucks everything out of you."

Chand is also relishing the new role since moving to the US as he works to promote the game of cricket and mentor the younger players.

"We've got a great bunch of talent and (with) growing cricket in the USA, my whole approach to the game has changed," he said.

"The next 10 years I want to devote myself fully to good competitive cricket around the world and once I qualify for the US getting the US to compete with the best teams in the world.

"Eventually I'll play in more in leagues around the world as well, but in first three years it won't be very easy because I have to spend 10 months of 12 months in the country to get eligibility for the US national team."

February 2017

Despite leading India A sides, Chand was struggling to make his local team Delhi.

He was dropped from the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy squad and left the Mumbai Indians in the IPL due to a lack of game time but went unsold in the next auction.

The last of his IPL games was in May 2016 – across six seasons for the Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians he scored 300 runs in 21 matches opening the batting alongside the likes of David Warner and Aaron Finch at Delhi and Shane Watson and Finch at Rajasthan.

He remains equal 31st on the global list of the most T20 centuries with three, while his first-class career has yielded 3379 runs at 31.57 from 67 matches and includes eight hundreds.

But despite the impressive record Chand fell out of favour at Delhi so he moved to play for Uttarakhand in 2019-20 but could only manage 195 runs in seven first-class games that season.

Image Id: 35C7760DE95E4E3282C509A3685A6B5C Image Caption: Unmukt Chand bats for the Melbourne Renegades in a practice match // Getty

 

"The last two years have been not very good for me personally because I was in and out of the sides and I was representing India A on the one side and then I was getting dropped constantly by Delhi," he says.

But now he hopes his decision to quit cricket in India might inspire others to follow a similar path as he focuses on his new dream of representing the US in a World Cup.

Chand says he has been getting a "huge barrage of messages" not just from players, but coaches and administrators as well who are interested in looking at opportunities outside of India.

"To resign from the entire set up not many have done it, but I'm sure post my (decision) many people will think of this route because it's a good opportunity," Chand says.

"With so many leagues happening around the world, I think it's a great way of exploring your options and playing cricket around the world.

"There's so many good players in India who are not getting the opportunities … yes, only 11 will play but they're looking at opportunities where they can go and play because as a player you only have a limited number of years.

"You want to make the most of it by playing the maximum amount of cricket you can and … maybe it's a new avenue opening up for many of them.

"India was playing New Zealand in the Test championship and (the feeling that) I wouldn't be able to wear that jersey ever in my life was something which was initially hurting me.

"But then when I actually looked at the good things, there were so many good things which were outweighing the other stuff.

"By 2024 I'll qualify to play for the US national team, I'll have a couple of World Cups under me so playing for a country is always very special.

"And there are so many Indians in the US that I still don't feel as if I'm playing in another country, I still feel that the community is still the same."

November 21, 2021

Two days before he leaves for Australia for BBL|11, Chand makes a whirlwind trip home to India to get married.

His new wife, fitness and sports nutritionist Simran Khosla, was due to join him in Melbourne on Wednesday but because of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant her arrival has been delayed until at least December 15.

"If there's no further restrictions hopefully she can come post that," he says.

"We did everything in two days – marriage and all the other things that go along with it. In India it's full of rituals, marriage is a big event … but we managed it in two days."

As for the Big Bash, he's excited to link up with some of his old teammates and part some of his experience onto his new younger ones.

"I'm really excited about this team, I'm reuniting with a couple of my old blokes – when I was playing for Delhi the first season Finchy was there, Kane Richardson was with me in 2013 when I was playing Rajasthan Royals," he says.

"Ben Rohrer, who is the coaching with the Stars, he was with me for one season at Delhi, Greg Shipperd (Sydney Sixers coach) was the coach at time.

"Everyone knows everyone. Ricky Ponting was my coach for when I was at Mumbai Indians.

"I met Joel Paris who's playing for the Hobart Hurricanes and it's going to be nice playing against them again after the U19 World Cup.

"I'm looking forward to having a great season and making sure that we turn the tables from the last few years."

The USA's Major League Cricket – the country's first professional T20 competition – was slated to start in 2021 but has been delayed to 2023 due to the COVID pandemic. A number of exhibition matches could take place next year.

The United States has also been selected to co-host the ICC Men's T20 World Cup alongside the West Indies in 2024, which is around the time when Chand will qualify to play for the national side.

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