Unmukt Chand facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Unmukt Bharat Thakur Chand
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| Born | 26 March 1993 Delhi, India |
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| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm off break | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Batsman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2018 | Delhi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Delhi Daredevils (squad no. 9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010-2013 | North Zone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Rajasthan Royals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Mumbai Indians (squad no. 15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Uttarakhand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021-present | Silicon Valley Strikers (squad no. 9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021-22 | Melbourne Renegades (squad no. 9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022-23 | Lumbini All Stars | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Chattogram Challengers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023-present | Los Angeles Knight Riders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Lumbini Lions | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 22 October 2022
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Unmukt Chand (born March 26, 1993) is a former Indian cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman who currently plays for the Los Angeles Knight Riders in Major League Cricket. He also plays for the Melbourne Renegades in Australia's Big Bash League. Unmukt has played for teams like Delhi and Uttarakhand in India. He also played for the Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. He famously led the India Under-19 cricket team to win the 2012 U-19 Cricket World Cup. In August 2021, Chand announced he would no longer play cricket in India.
Contents
Early Life and School
Unmukt Chand was born into a Kumauni Rajput family. His parents, Bharat Chand Thakur and Rajeshwari Chand, were both teachers. His family is originally from Pithoragarh District in Uttarakhand. When he was in 9th grade, he moved schools to Modern School, Barakhamba Road.
Cricket Journey
Starting Out in Cricket
Unmukt Chand showed great talent early on. He scored 499 runs for the Delhi Under-19 team. This included two centuries (scores of 100 or more) and one half-century (50 or more). His excellent performance earned him a spot on the Delhi senior team. He scored 151 runs in a tough match against Railways in the 2010-11 Ranji Trophy. That year, he also made two half-centuries against Mumbai and Saurashtra. He ended up scoring 400 runs in just five matches.
Leading the Team
Unmukt Chand was chosen to be the captain of the Delhi Under-19 team. He also led the North Zone Under-19 team. Later, he became the captain of the India Under-19 cricket team. He led them in a special series held in Vishakhapatnam, India. This series included Under-19 teams from India, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and Australia.
He scored an amazing 122 runs without being out against Sri Lanka. He also scored two half-centuries against Australia and West Indies. He finished that tournament with 336 runs. In April 2012, his team played another series in Australia. Chand scored 94 runs against England in the semi-final. This helped India win the match. In the final, he scored an unbeaten 112 runs against Australia. This helped India win the tournament easily.
In June 2012, Chand continued his great form in the ACC Under-19s Asia Cup. He scored 116 runs against Sri Lanka in the semi-final. Then, he scored 121 runs against Pakistan in the final. He was named the Man of the Match in both games. He was the top scorer in the tournament with 286 runs.
On August 26, 2012, Chand led the India Under-19 team to victory. They won the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Australia. In the final, Australia scored 225 runs. But Chand scored an amazing 111 runs without being out. He partnered with Smit Patel for a 130-run stand. India won the match with more than two overs to spare.
On March 3, 2013, Chand scored 116 runs for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final. This showed his ability to score big in important matches. Delhi won the game by 95 runs and took home the title for the first time.
Playing in the IPL
Unmukt Chand started his IPL journey in 2011 with the Delhi Daredevils. He later joined the Rajasthan Royals in 2014. In 2015, the Mumbai Indians picked him up. He won his first IPL title with them that year.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
In the 2012–13 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Unmukt scored 321 runs for Delhi. He scored two centuries in a row. First, he made 105 runs off 67 balls against Kerala. Then, he scored 125 runs off just 63 balls against Gujarat.
Playing Cricket Abroad
Minor League Cricket
Unmukt started playing in the Minor League Cricket (MiLC) in the USA on August 14, 2021. He was the top run-scorer in 2021. He scored 612 runs in 16 games. He led his team, the Silicon Valley Strikers, to win the championship title. In 2023, he moved to the Atlanta Lightning team.
Big Bash League
On January 18, 2022, Unmukt made his debut in Australia's Big Bash. He played for the Melbourne Renegades. This made him the first Indian male cricketer to play in the Big Bash League.
Major League Cricket
Unmukt was chosen by the Los Angeles Knight Riders. He will play for them in the first ever Major League Cricket season in the USA.
Bangladesh Premier League
In November 2022, Unmukt was picked to play for the Chattogram Challengers. This was for the 2022–23 Bangladesh Premier League. He became the first Indian player to play in the Bangladesh Premier League.
Awards and Achievements
- Captain of the team that won the 2012 Under-19 Cricket World Cup
- Man of the Match in the 2012 Under-19 Cricket World Cup Final
- Castrol Junior Cricketer of the Year for 2011–12
- CEAT Indian Youngster of the Year 2012
- Won the 2015 IPL title with Mumbai Indians
- Captain of the 2021 Minor Cricket League USA winning team, and also scored the most runs in that competition
Books Written
Unmukt Chand wrote a book about his experiences. It's called The Sky is the Limit (2013). The book tells the story of his journey as a cricketer. It covers his childhood, his rise in cricket, and how he led his country to a World Cup victory. The book shares how he scored a match-winning century as captain and brought home the trophy. This was India Under-19 team's first World Cup win outside Asia. Famous cricketers Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, and Sanjay Manjrekar wrote special introductions for his book.
