Former India U19 World Cup captain Unmukt Chand has continued his dream run in the USA’s premier T20 tournament, Minor League Cricket. With 693 runs, Chand finished the tournament as the top scorer for the second time in a row. The opening batsman averaged 53.31 in 18 games at an impressive strike-rate of over 130.
Last year, the Silicon Valley Strikers team led by Unmukt Chand won the inaugural Minor League Tournament. This season they won 13 of their 14 league games before losing in the semifinals.
The Seattle Thunderbolts won the 2022 Minor League Cricket Championship, defeating the Atlanta Fire by 10 runs on Sunday, Aug. 28. The Thunderbolts took home a $150,000 prize for winning America’s most extensive cricket championship, and their star bowler Phani Simhadri was named the season’s Most Valuable Player.
After a successful first season of MLC, Unmukt became the first Indian male cricketer to play in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) in January this year. The right-handed batter made his debut for Melbourne Renegades against Hobart.
Chand had also put his name for the first-ever auction for the South African T20 League (SA T20).
The Delhi star is currently aiming for a spot in international T20 competitions while also preparing for the 2024 World Cup, which will be hosted by the USA.