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Former India and current US cricketer Unmukt Chand took a dig at his Big Bash League franchise Melbourne Renegades for constantly leaving him out of the playing XI. The 28-year-old posted a cryptic tweet on his account which was aimed at his BBL franchise. Unmukt became the first Indian cricketer to bag a BBL contract as he was signed by Melbourne Renegades. The U19 World Cup-winning captain for India retired from all forms of cricket in his native country and moved to the US for better opportunities.
Chand was looking forward to his maiden BBL stint but he is yet to get an opportunity to showcase his skills. The 28-year-old did not look amused at Renegades' decision to keep him out of the first XI and took out his frustration through a Twitter post. "Feels more like a vacation, Thanks Melbourne," tweeted Chand after missing out from the playing XI yet again.
Notably, teams in BBL can name as many as three overseas players in their playing XI. Melbourne Renegades, however, have shown faith in their local talents instead of filling the overseas spots. In fact, left-arm spinner Zahir Khan was Renegades’ only overseas player in the lineup for the recently-concluded game against Sydney Sixers.
I had always wanted to play in BBL: Unmukt Chand
Unmukt Chand has recently moved to the USA to pursue his cricketing dreams. As the BCCI doesn't allow its cricketers to take part in foreign leagues, Chand could not sign a contract when in India. However, he bagged a contract with Melbourne Renegades right after moving to the US and the cricketer has expressed extreme happiness on getting a BBL contract.
“I’ve loved watching the Big Bash and players around the world coming in. It’s a great platform and I always wanted to play there. I’m really looking forward in the coming years that I can make a name for myself and hopefully win championships for the teams I play for,” Chand had said ahead of the competition.
However, it looks like he will have to wait a bit longer to play his first BBL game.