Unmukt Chand, the captain of India’s 2012 Under-19 World Cup-winning team, has signed with the Silicon Valley Strikers of the Minor League Cricket (MLC) in the United States for the 2021 season. Unmukt, who retired from Indian cricket on Friday at the age of 28, played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and amassed over 4500 runs in List A cricket.
The 28-year-old cricketer has moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and inked a multi-year deal with Major League Cricket to help promote the game in the US by playing alongside and teaching the next generation of American cricketers.
Read also: 2012 U-19 World Cup winning captain Unmukt Chand announces retirement
Unmukt stated in a statement, “I’m delighted to have the chance to play Minor League Cricket with the Strikers beginning this weekend and help promote the sport locally in the Bay Area, where I’ve already shown tremendous passion for the game,” he said.
This Saturday’s game between the Strikers and the Lashings, which begins at 10 a.m. PST, is part of a unique “Cricket for the Community Day” in Morgan Hill and is open to all fans. The community day of cricket will include a doubleheader of Minor League Cricket games.
The Minor League is a relatively new concept in the United States, inspired from the Major League present in baseball. The tournament follows the T-20 format just like the IPL and features 27 teams across the United States. According to the announcement, more than 200 games will be played at 26 sites, with over 400 players.
Read also: Unmukt Chand quits BCCI cricket, eyes fresh cricketing pastures in USA
