WATCH: Unmukt Chand, who left India for US, gets out for a duck on MLC debut
After retiring from the Indian domestic game on Friday (August 13), ex Delhi and Uttarakhand right-hand batsman Unmukt Chand had the worst possible start to the new phase of his professional cricket career in the USA.
Unmukt got out for a duck off only the third ball during his maiden outing in the newly introduced Minor League Cricket (MLC). Playing for the Silicon Valley Strikers against San Diego Surf Riders in California, the talented Indian batter had his stumps dismantled off a peach of a delivery.
The ball from right-arm seamer Zubair Ahmed nipped away late after pitching and hit the middle and off-stump even as Unmukt shaped up to play a forward defence.
The batter, who would’ve been eyeing a solid start as the MCL cricketer for the Strikers, was left shocked and distraught over his dismissal.
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Unmukt Chand left shocked after a poor outing at the start of his USA journey.
Unmukt Chand has a bad start to his stint in Minor League Cricket in USA
Unmukt Chand’s very early departure meant that Strikers had a poor beginning to their important encounter against the Surf Riders. But they still managed to post a competitive total of 156/4 from 20 overs, thanks to middle-order batsman Shehan Jayasuriya’s 74 off 62 balls, and prevailed at the end by 15 runs.
For Unmukt, however, it would be important for the 28-year-old to put the forgetful three-ball effort out of his mind and focus on finding his best form and rhythm in the coming games after making a commitment to USA cricket.
I don't think Unmukt Chand will be sharing this on his Instagram Stories anytime soon. Third-ball duck on @MiLCricket debut for the ex-India 2012 U19 World Cup winning captain. He was opening the batting for Silicon Valley Strikers in Morgan Hill, California today. pic.twitter.com/El0G1fLmP1
— Peter Della Penna (@PeterDellaPenna) August 15, 2021
The player officially joined MLC the very day he bid an emotional adieu to his domestic career in India. The Minor League Cricket , which is considered a precursor to USA Cricket’s longstanding dream project the Major League Cricket T20, to be played from 2023, will help Unmukt achieve the eligibility criteria to play for USA in the future.
Considered the next big thing in Indian cricket after his great century in the final of the 2012 U-19 World Cup in Australia, Unmukt’s domestic career failed to take off.
Plagued by inconsistencies and issues with the Delhi cricket administration before shifting states to Uttarakhand, Unmukt Chand played 67 first-class games with an average of 31.57 and 120 List A matches with an average of 41.33 and strike-rate of 75.15.
The cricketer was also part of Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but never really had a settled spot, with his last IPL game dating back 2016.