Where is Unmukt Chand? The curious case of a promising youngster
Former India U-19 and India A captain Unmukt Chand rose to fame when he led the Indian Under-19 team to triumph in the 2012 ICC U-19 World Cup. His unbeaten 111 in a tense chase upset hosts and favourites Australia as young India chased down glory. Chand’s disposition stood out throughout the tournament and he became the pivotal player of the team.
The rise
Chand grabbed the spotlight after amassing 499 runs including 2 centuries and a half-century during his first stint with the Delhi Under-19 team. His outstanding performance at the junior level earned him a spot in the Delhi senior team. A brilliant and mature knock of 151 runs on a seaming track against Railways in Ranji Trophy 2010-11 showed that he had everything required to make it count. He went onto score 400 runs for Delhi in five Ranji matches and that was sufficient for selectors to know his mettle.
In the 2012 U-19 quadrangular series in Australia, Chand’s scores read 94 vs England in the semi-final to help India win; a blazing 112 vs Australia in the final that took India home. India won the tournament under him and he ended up with 281 runs from 5 matches. His consistent exploits led him to lead the team at the big level.
The fall
Chand played an influential role with the bat in India’s World Cup triumph and finished as the leading run-scorer of the tournament with 246 runs at an average above 49 from six matches. His career was off to a flying start after the memorable triumph but his fortunes changed upside down as he lost his IPL contract, was dropped from his domestic team, and also failed to make a comeback at A-level cricket for India.
His heroics in the 2012 U-19 World Cup led people to compare him with current Indian captain Virat Kohli, and rightly so! They were both from Delhi, both aggressive, top-order batsmen who rose to fame by winning the U-19 World Cup for their nation. But this, perhaps, was to be the end of it.
IPL
Chand’s IPL career did not take off either. He was a member of the Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) in the IPL since 2011. However, getting to play only 4 games in his first two seasons with the franchise did not help his case too much.
The right-hand batsman played 9 games in the 2013 edition after he earned and made a reputation from his impressive display in the U-19 World Cup. However, he misfired and could only manage 158 runs in the entire season. He represented the Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians and managed to score 300 runs in 21 matches.
The following years
Chand led India-A in 2016 before losing his spot as captain of the Delhi team and he has been lost in oblivion ever since. A quick look at his social media accounts suggests he’s working hard on his fitness and appears to be in great shape. Chand is currently captaining Uttarakhand, his new Ranji team, after taking NOC from the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) to make a fresh start. It remains to be seen whether the Delhi lad will be able to bounce back anytime soon.
