Birthday special: Unmukt Chand – Talented batter who unfortunately couldn’t make it big

Unmukt Chand was a cricketer blessed with immense talent. When Chand led the India U19 side to the World Cup title in the year 2012, he was touted as a player to watch out for. Chand had the flamboyance, he had all the shots in the book, and he was earmarked for the future.

In fact, many thought his career might follow in the similar way that legendary cricketer Virat Kohli’s career has gone. However, ten years have passed since then, and Chand has not played a single match for the Indian side at the international arena.

The right-handed batter made his IPL debut in the year 2011 for the Delhi Capitals (DC) against the Mumbai Indians (MI). But he put up a disappointing performance on debut, as he was cleaned up for a duck. He could never manage to claim a permanent place in the playing XI, and in the six years that he played IPL cricket, Chand could only play 21 matches.

He scored just 300 runs in his IPL career and scored his runs at a poor average of 15 and a mediocre strike rate of 100. And, Chand’s career never took off. And, in November 2021, Chand moved his base to the United States of America (USA) to continue pursuing his cricketing ambitions.

Chand even openly spoke about how frustrated he was at not getting an opportunity to play for Delhi. Adding that injury woes compounded his frustrations, Chand said that he accepted the offer that came his way from the USA and he is happy with the decision that he has taken.

“For two years I was being sidelined by the Delhi selectors. I was really frustrated and could not understand why DDCA was not giving me chance. So, I shifted to Uttarakhand for a season. An injury hurt my cricket during that time. I was gutted, and when I got an offer from USA Cricket to play in the US, I (decided on) starting my career afresh. I’m very happy with the decision I made,” said Chand about his decision to move to the USA.

Yes, Chand was talented, and there is no doubt about it. However, the right-hander could not post consistent scores, and as a result, could not make it big in the sport of cricket. As Chand turns 29 today, here is wishing him a happy birthday and hoping that he shined in the USA Cricket in the near future and beyond as well.