• Source:JND

Australia have included Delhi-born leg-spin all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary in their squad for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh. The 30-year-old, who is yet to make his international debut, has been called up after Travis Head withdrew from the tour due to personal reasons.

How can Nikhil Chaudhary create history?

The selection gives Chaudhary a chance to become one of the few India-born cricketers to play for Australia at the international level in more than 60 years.

Chaudhary currently plays for the Hobart Hurricanes in Australia's domestic circuit and is representing JB Bruges in the EUT20 tournament in Belgium. He is expected to join the Australian squad in Dhaka on Friday.

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His cricket journey has been anything but ordinary. Born in Delhi, Chaudhary played age-group and early domestic cricket in India before moving to Australia in the early 2020s. Since then, he has worked his way through the domestic system and established himself as a useful leg-spinning all-rounder.

He is being considered for a middle-order role in the Australian side alongside players such as Joel Davies and Aaron Hardie, who are also part of the T20I squad.

Australia selector on Nikhil Chaudhary

Australia selector Tony Dodemaide said the team management has been keeping an eye on Chaudhary for some time.

“Nikhil has been a player of national interest for some time. He was a standby player for this tour, joining the squad at pre-season camps in Brisbane and comes in as a replacement for Travis Head," Dodemaide said.

“The panel has been impressed by his BBL form, particularly last season, leading to his addition to the squad. He has also been part of the Delhi Capitals setup in this year’s IPL.

“Nikhil will gain invaluable experience in Bangladesh and will be in contention to play his first game for Australia when we sit down to pick a team for the opening T20 fixture here next week," he added.

Before moving to Australia, Chaudhary played 14 limited-overs matches for Punjab. During that period, he shared the dressing room with players such as Harbhajan Singh, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. He also spent time on trial with the Mumbai Indians.

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Interestingly, his move to Australia was not part of a long-term plan. He had travelled to Queensland to visit his uncle when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international travel. With restrictions in place, he stayed back and eventually decided to pursue his cricket career in Australia.

Australia vs Bangladesh T20I schedule

The three-match T20I series between Australia and Bangladesh will be played in Chattogram. The opening match is scheduled for June 17, followed by the second game on June 19. The final T20I of the series will take place on June 21.

Australia’s T20I squad

Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, and Adam Zampa.


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