Unmukt Chand has signed with the Melbourne Renegades and is the first Indian BBL player

Melbourne Renegades on Thursday announced the signing of Unmukt Chand for the 2021-22 season of the Big Bash League. The 28-year-old batsman becomes the first Indian player to take part in the Australian T20 show.

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Unmukt retired from cricket earlier this year to play league cricket in the US The captain of the national team that won the Under-19 World Cup in 2012, Unmukt has played in indoor cricket in Delhi and Uttarakhand.

Delighted at the opportunity to play in the BBL, Unmukt said: “It’s great to be part of the Melbourne Renegades family. I’m really looking forward to coming to Melbourne. I’ve always followed the Big Bash League; it’s a great opportunity for me. To play good cricket.”

He added: “I know there are a lot of Indians in Melbourne and I hope the crowd will also play in the games.”

Renegades coach David Saker was delighted to have Unmukt on the board.

“We are delighted to be joining Unmukt Renegades and seeing that he is an important part of our team.”

“Cricket brings a lot of experience. IPL is a wonderful addition to our team that has represented three teams and led their country to the ‘A’ and Under-19 level.

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“As a batsman, Unmukt is dynamic and can change games quickly. He has spent a large part of his career at the top of the order, but we believe he has the flexibility to play the various roles we need.”

Unmukt has played 67 first-class matches, 120 A-list matches and 77 T20 matches in his career. His last first-team match was in January 2020, when he played against Dehradunen Haryana against Uttarakhand.

Unmukt has also played in the Indian Premier League, representing the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), the Rajasthan Royals and the Mumbai Indians.

(With PTI entry)