Before guiding India to the U19 championship in 2012, Unmukt Chand, the captain of the Under-19 World Cup-winning team, made his first-class debut in 2010. He was immediately hailed as a player of the future. In addition to making his IPL debut at the age of 18, he did well to carry a punch, scoring 151 in his fifth Ranji Trophy match.
Even though he was still a regular member of Delhi’s domestic squad, his career took a sharp turn in 2017 from which he was never able to bounce back.
Unmukt Chand feels politics in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) cost him dearly, in what is now regarded as one of the most important cautionary tales in Indian cricket.
“Because Gautam Gambhir was such a good leader, nothing went wrong with the Delhi squad until 2017, when he was still captain. He supported and battled for players. However, there was a lot of turmoil in Delhi cricket after his retirement. While Dhruv (Shorey) was doing well, he was also dropped, along with Nitish (Rana). And everyone is aware of what’s taking place,” Unmukt Chand informed Lallantop.
It’s politics, you say, because they kicked me out. Removing the captain of India A from your state team has never occurred. Although I can’t place the blame on a single individual, the DDCA selectors are essentially in charge of making these choices. He continued, “I felt bad that after serving the Delhi team for so long and performing fairly well, they made me the scapegoat.”
Unmukt Chand subsequently quit Indian cricket permanently after failing to establish himself with the Delhi team, even playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League. He later registered as a player for the United States and played Major League Cricket with the Los Angeles Knight Riders.
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