New Delhi, March 25: Unmukt Chand, who led India to victory in the Under-19 World Cup in 2012, has made a significant mark in cricket with his impressive batting skills. Despite representing Delhi in domestic cricket, he never got the chance to play for the senior national team, which led him to pursue opportunities in the United States.
Born on March 26, 1993, in Delhi, Unmukt made his Ranji debut during his school days. He entered domestic cricket in 2010, scoring an impressive 151 runs in just his fourth match. At the age of 18 years and 15 days, he made his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but unfortunately, he could only manage 2 runs in two matches that season.
In 2012, Unmukt was appointed captain of the Indian team for the Under-19 World Cup. Under his leadership, India reached the finals, facing Australia. Chasing a target of 226 runs, Unmukt played a stellar innings, scoring an unbeaten 111 runs off 130 balls, including 6 sixes and 7 fours, leading India to victory. He was the highest run-scorer of the tournament, amassing 246 runs at an average of 49.20 across six matches.
This remarkable performance catapulted Unmukt to stardom, with fans drawing comparisons to Virat Kohli, who led India to the Under-19 World Cup trophy in 2008. However, his IPL career did not meet expectations. Between 2011 and 2016, he played 21 matches for three teams (Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, and Mumbai Indians), scoring only 300 runs at an average of 15.
Despite his struggles in the IPL, Unmukt remained a regular member of the India ‘A’ team. He led the team to victories against New Zealand ‘A’ in 2013 and Bangladesh ‘A’ in 2015. Notably, he scored 103 runs off 58 balls for Delhi against Gujarat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2016.
In his first-class career, Unmukt played 67 matches, scoring 3,379 runs at an average of 31.57, including 8 centuries and 16 half-centuries. In List A cricket, he accumulated 4,505 runs in 120 matches at an average of 41.33, with 7 centuries and 32 half-centuries. He also played 103 T20 matches, scoring 2,141 runs with 3 centuries and 10 half-centuries.
Due to the lack of opportunities in the senior Indian team, Unmukt announced his retirement from Indian cricket in 2021. He then decided to play in the United States, where he has participated in the Major League cricket (MLC) for the past three seasons, scoring 528 runs at an average of 29.33 in 19 matches, including 5 half-centuries.
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