Melbourne Renegades sign first ever Indian to play in the Big Bash League

Former India U-19 captain Unmukt Chand will become the first Indian player to feature in Australia’s Big Bash League

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Unmukt Chand will become the first Indian to play in the Big Bash League (BBL) after joining the Melbourne Renegades as an overseas player.

Although a number of Indian women have played in Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL), a male Indian cricketer has never featured in the tournament before.

That is because BCCI rules state that any Indian player is not allowed to play in a franchise tournament outside the country and there have been instances in the past of players being forced to withdraw from competitions as a result of this rule.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh had to pull out of the draft for The Hundred due to his IPL deal with the Chennai Super Kings, while Irfan Pathan was slapped with a warning after entering the Caribbean Premier League draft.

However, Chand has been able to sign up for the BBL because he quit Indian cricket last year to pursue other opportunities in America.

The 28-year-old, who has captained India A and India U-19s, relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and signed a contract to play for the Silicon Valley Strikers in the US’s Minor League Cricket T20 competition.

Chand scored a total of 612 runs in that competition, prompting the Renegades to sign him up for the BBL.

“I’m very excited, it’s great to be part of the Melbourne Renegades family,” Chand said. “I’ve always followed the Big Bash and it’s a great opportunity for me to come and play some good cricket.

“I’m really looking forward to coming to Melbourne and to get going. I’ve always enjoyed playing in Australia.

“I haven’t been to Melbourne before… I know for a fact there are lots of Indians in Melbourne, so it’s going to be nice, and I hope the crowds turn up for games as well.

“I’ve always wanted to play in leagues like these and it’s great that now I have this opportunity to be representing the Renegades in the Big Bash, so for me it’s big.

“I really look forward to contributing as much as I can on the field. I’ll give it my best shot.”

It is a big opportunity for Chand and the fact that he has earned a deal in one of the premier T20 franchise leagues outside of the IPL could encourage others to follow a similar path.

“We’re delighted to have Unmukt joining the Renegades and see him being an important part of our group,” said Renegades head coach David Saker.

“He brings a wealth of cricket experience. To have a player joining our team who has represented three IPL teams and led his country at ‘A’ and Under 19 level is fantastic.

“As a batter, Unmukt is dynamic and can change games quickly. He has spent much of his career at the top of the order, but we believe he has the flexibility to fill a variety of roles as we need.”