Unmukt Chand: Former IND-U19 World Cup-Winning Captain Set To Represent USA In T20 World Cup

Unmukt Chand, the captain of India's U-19 World Cup-winning squad in 2012, will face his native country in March 2024 when the Rohit Sharma-led Men in Blue play the USA. After seeing few opportunities in his native nation, Chand decided to play for the United States.

In June of this year, the T20 World Cup 2024 will take place in the USA and the West Indies. India will compete as the co-host in group A. After quitting all cricket in India in September 2021, Chand fulfilled the requirements for qualifying by spending ten months a year for three years in the United States.

Chand, one of the most exciting talents in the early 2010s, was set to play for the senior team after winning the U-19 World Cup in 2012. But that failed, and Chand's career stalled and as the hitter, he struggled to find opportunities.

He moved to the USA in 2021, and it appears that the decision was well-considered because he amassed over 1500 runs in three seasons of Minor League Cricket T20.

Speaking ahead of the clash with India, Chand said it would be strange facing them. "Something which would be very strange (laughs), but I think since I've retired from India, my next goal was always to sort of play against India, and not in any bad blood but keen to test myself out against the best team in the world," Chand was quoted in Cricbuzz.

At the T20 World Cup, Chand won't be the only player of Indian "origin" on the USA squad; Smit Patel and Harmeet Singh, for example, will also be playing for the US. Along with Chand, Singh and Patel were a member of the winning 2012 Trophy team.

On June 12, India and the United States of America will square off at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.