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Unmukt Chand, the former captain of India’s under-19 World Cup-winning team, recently shared his disappointment after not making the cut for the USA squad in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Chand, who retired from Indian cricket in 2021 and shifted his focus to playing internationally for the USA, expressed surprise and sadness at being left out, admitting it took him some time to accept the decision.
Since his move to the USA, the 31-year-old has consistently performed well in various T20 leagues and the Minor League Cricket (MiLC). Despite his efforts, he did not find himself included in the USA squad for the T20 World Cup 2024, which was co-hosted by the USA in June.
Chand initially gained prominence by leading India to victory in the 2012 U19 World Cup. Despite showing promise, he struggled to break into India’s senior national team. Following his relocation to the USA, Chand became eligible to represent their national team shortly before the recent T20 World Cup.
Wasn’t An Ideal Situation – Unmukt Chand
Unmukt Chand, speaking to reporters following the Angeles Knight Riders versus Texas Super Kings match in Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024, revealed that he had been striving towards participating in the T20 World Cup over the past three years since his departure from India. Chand candidly admitted to facing challenges in reaching his peak performance during this period.
“That wasn’t an ideal situation to be in,” Chand told reporters on Saturday.
“Because personally for me, this was what I had dreamed for the last three years. Obviously, it was a big shock. And it took me time to sort of come to terms with it. It’s never easy as a player, having lost all those things back home in India, to having this one goal, which had kept me going for the last three years not happening. So it is difficult. I won’t say which just happened. But it was difficult. I was not my best self for some time,” he added.
Unmukt Chand kicked off the MLC 2024 season in style, showcasing his prowess with a match-winning half-century for the Los Angeles Knight Riders against the Texas Super Kings. He struck an impressive 68 runs off just 45 balls, guiding LAKR to a hard-fought 12-run victory. However, in their subsequent game against the San Francisco Unicorns, Chand faced a setback, being dismissed without scoring off just five balls.
Was A Very Internal Battle – Unmukt Chand
Unmukt Chand shared insights into his personal journey, acknowledging the hurdles he faced and the time it took to conquer them. He noted that he eventually reached a stage where he could leave those challenges behind and prevent them from impacting his mindset moving forward.
“That was a very internal battle and it’s a sucker. It keeps sucking you inside and inside. That feeling would linger on for a day and then go away and then come back again. The reality would hit me in different phases. Once you keep going through that automatically you keep getting better. There comes a time when you’re like it didn’t happen, that’s it. I’m not even thinking about it,” Chand further stated.
Chand has managed to put aside his dashed hopes of playing in the T20 World Cup. The 31-year-old spent the tournament training under his childhood coach in Maharashtra. His next appearance will be for the Los Angeles Knight Riders against the San Francisco Unicorns on Tuesday (India time).
