Nikhil Chaudhary Becomes First India-Born Male Cricketer in 60 Years to Debut for Australia

Nikhil Chaudhary (Image credit: Cricket Australia)

NEW DELHI: Nikhil Chaudhary scripted history on Wednesday when he became the first India-born male cricketer in six decades to make his debut for Australia. The 30-year-old was named in Australia's Playing XI for the first T20I against Bangladesh at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram, marking a remarkable milestone in a journey that has taken him from Delhi and Punjab cricket to the international stage in Australian colours. Chaudhary was selected as a leg-spinning all-rounder for the T20I side currently touring Bangladesh. While former Australia women's captain Lisa Sthalekar, who was born in Pune, has represented and led Australia, Chaudhary became the first India-born male cricketer since the 1960s to play for the Australian men's team. According to Cricket Australia, several players of Indian origin, including Gurinder Sandhu and Tanveer Sangha, have represented Australia. However, no India-born male cricketer had played for the national side since Gujarat-born leg-spinner Rex Sellars featured in the 1964 Test against India in Calcutta.

Nikhil Chaudhary: From Delhi and Punjab to Australia

Born in Delhi, Chaudhary represented Punjab in domestic cricket between 2017 and 2019. He made his senior T20 debut in January 2017 as a medium pacer in a Punjab side that featured experienced names such as Harbhajan Singh, Sidharth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma and Gurkeerat Mann. He went on to play 14 matches for Punjab, including 12 T20s in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and two List A matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, Chaudhary's cricketing journey took an unexpected turn during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Covid lockdown and Nikhil Chaudhary

In 2020, Chaudhary travelled to Australia to visit his uncle in Queensland and dur to COVID-19 and lockdown and borders sealed due to the pandemic, he was unable to return to India. That period became a turning point in his career. As restrictions eased, Chaudhary began playing club cricket in Brisbane. His performances caught the attention of local coaches. Apart from playing, he also started doing jobs to support himself financially. He chopped vegetables in restaurants, drove taxis and delivered parcels while pursuing his cricket dream.