'My goal is to play against India' - Retired Indian player makes controversial statement

In a controversial statement, a retired Indian cricketer has expressed intentions of playing against the tricolour in the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup. Unmukt Chand, the 2012 U19 World Cup-winning skipper for India is anticipating a unique experience as he prepares to play for the USA in the upcoming mega-event, competing against his home country.

His eligibility to represent the USA is expected to commence in March 2024, three months ahead of the World Cup scheduled in the Caribbean and the United States. Having officially retired from all forms of cricket in India in September 2021, he has nearly fulfilled the eligibility requirement of residing in the USA for ten months annually over three years.

"It is 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" Unmukt told Cricbuzz in an interview.

Unmukt Chanda will face former India teammates in the T20 World Cup

In the early 2010s, Unmukt Chand was considered one of the most promising talents in Indian cricket, especially after his outstanding performance as the captain in the U19 World Cup, where he contributed with a decisive century in the final. However, he struggled to meet the soaring expectations following the tournament. Subsequent lacklustre performances in the domestic circuit led him to switch from Delhi to Uttarakhand for better opportunities.

In 2021, Unmukt relocated to the USA, where he made a significant impact by guiding the Silicon Valley Strikers to victory in the inaugural Minor League Cricket T20 and accumulating over 1500 runs across three seasons.

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Should Unmukt be chosen to represent the USA, sharing a World Cup group with India and Pakistan would mean confronting former teammates from India 'A,' including notable players such as Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav.

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