Unmukt Chand Left Out; Former India Under-19 Star, Ex-RCB Batter in USA’s Squad for T20I Series vs Canada

Spinner Harmeet Singh, who represented India at the Under-19 World Cup in 2010 and 2012, has been included in the USA’s 15-member squad for the five-match T20I series against Canada, starting April 7.

USA, the co-hosts of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, will play all their matches at the Prairie View Cricket Complex (PVCC), in Houston, Texas.

Singh, a former Mumbai and Rajasthan Royals player, was the first-ever draft pick in MLC (Major League Cricket) history—snapped by the Seattle Orcas—and went on to lead the Minor League Cricket (MiLC) team Seattle Thunderbolts to the title in 2022.

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He played two Under-19 World Cups for India— 2010 and 2012 – and was instrumental in India’s title win in 2012. In 2013, during the IPL spot-fixing controversy, Singh was investigated by the BCCI for allegedly being in contact with a bookie, but was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoings.

Unmukt Chand Not Picked in USA Squad

Interestingly, a notable omission from the squad is India’s U19 World Cup winning captain Unmukt Chand. Chand had a good run with the bat in the three MiLC seasons scoring over 1500 runs across 45 innings yet was left out of the squad.

Corey Anderson Makes it

Another notable inclusion in the squad is former New Zealand international Corey Anderson, who last played for New Zealand in 2018. He played in the MiLC, scoring 900 runs in 28 innings at a strike rate of 146. Former Delhi and Royal Champions Bengaluru player Milind Kumar also makes it to the squad alongside former Canada skipper Nitish Kumar and former South African domestic stars Andries Gous and Shadley Van Schalkwyk.

Monank Patel leads the squad, while Aaron Jones will be his deputy. Speaking about the squad selection, USA captain Monank Patel said: “With the ICC T20 World Cup looming, this series holds immense significance for our team. We have some new players coming into the squad, and these games will help us get the right combinations and prepare well for the World Cup.”

USA Full Squad for T20I Series vs Canada

Squad: Monank Patel (c), Aaron Jones (vc), Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Gajanand Singh, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Noshtush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Usman Rafiq.

Reserve players: Juanoy Drysdale, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Shayan Jahangir.