Australia T20I Squad: Joining Australia’s T20I squad for the series against Bangladesh next week, Hobart Hurricanes all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary is set to make history. He was called up to the Australian squad following the early departure of Travis Head on personal leave. After being part of the Delhi Capitals unit in the IPL, he has become the first Australian to sign up for the annual EUT20 tournament in Belgium and is due to join the Australian team in Dhaka tomorrow. Having been overlooked by Punjab Ranji Team earlier, the Delhi-born cricketer could create history if picked in the playing XI.
BAN vs AUS: How can Nikhil Chaudhary create history?
If he gets selected, the talented all-rounder from Delhi will become the first India-born cricketer to play for the Australia men’s team since leg-spinner Rex Sellers, who was born in Gujarat and played in the 1964 Calcutta Test. Lisa Sthalekar, born in Pune and taken to Australia by her Australian parents as a baby, was a star player of Australia’s top women’s team during the 2000s.
Australia T20I Squad: Nikhil Chaudhary’s rise to international cricket
Chaudhary’s journey to the national team has been quite unusual. After playing 14 limited-overs matches for Punjab with Harbhajan Singh, Shubman Gill, and Abhishek Sharma, among others, he went to Australia during the COVID-19 lockdown while he was visiting family in Queensland. In fact, before the opportunity of joining the Hurricanes being handed to him by former Australian all-rounder James Hopes, he did several jobs, including ones at a restaurant and a postal delivery service.
Across the last three BBL seasons, Chaudhary, a player loved by the crowd for his forceful batting and Kabaddi-like celebrations, has grown into an indispensable member of Hobart. Following a Sheffield Shield campaign in which he scored a hundred and took five wickets in an innings, he has now secured his initial Tasmanian contract. In BBL|14, he scored 307 runs at a strike rate of 153.
BAN vs AUS: Will Nikhil Chaudhary play for Australia?
It was an unexpected call-up to the Australian team for Nikhil Chaudhary. The all-rounder will now be competing for a place in the playing XI with Aaron Hardie and Joel Davies. Chaudhary, being from Asia, could help him get the nod over his teammates.
