India's U-19 World Cup hero shines in America, slams half-century for Shah Rukh Khan's team in Major League Cricket

Unmukt Chand, the former captain of the Indian U19 team relocated to the USA a few years ago aiming to revitalize his cricket career. Unfortunately, he has encountered difficulties particularly with consistency in Major League Cricket. However, he has returned to the Los Angeles Knight Riders for the third edition and has finally made a significant impact. Coming in at number 3 during a run-chase of 220 against the San Francisco Unicorns, he started off exceptionally well. He unleashed a flurry of boundaries early on, concluding with a commendable 53 runs off just 32 balls. The right-handed batsman hit 4 fours and 4 sixes, keeping the Knight Riders competitive even as other players faltered.

What was particularly impressive in his innings was his remarkable strokeplay against short balls, taking on quality international bowlers such as Haris Rauf and Liam Plunkett. However, after his explosive fifty, he was dismissed by Haris Rauf in the 13th over, which triggered a collapse, leaving the Knight Riders 32 runs short of their target.

In addition to Chand, players like Matthew Tromp and Narine also made valuable contributions, but it simply wasn't sufficient for such a large run chase.

On a positive note, Unmukt Chand's form is an encouraging sign for the team as they progress this season, especially since his previous struggles over the last two seasons have reflected the team's overall performance. This marked only his third half-century in Major League Cricket, occurring in the 11th match. Last season, he accumulated just 158 runs in six matches and his debut season was even more challenging, with only 68 runs in four games. As a result, the Knight Riders have only secured three victories in their MLC history.

Looking ahead, the Los Angeles Knight Riders are scheduled to face the Texas Super Kings on June 15 in a day match. It promises to be a tough contest, but with one of their senior batsmen finding form in the first match, they will be feeling hopeful about making a strong comeback.

Unmukt Chand retired from professional cricket in August 2021 and relocated to the USA. Sadly, it appears he will not be returning to Indian cricket in the near future. However, as a US citizen, Unmukt is now eligible to participate in the IPL and even registered for the 2025 mega-auction. He began his IPL career with the Delhi Capitals, formerly known as the Delhi Daredevils. Throughout his career, he also played for the Rajasthan Royals and the Mumbai Indians (MI). He was a member of the MI team that won the IPL title in 2015 under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, although his last game for them was in 2016. A former captain of Delhi, Unmukt also demonstrated his talent while playing for Uttarakhand in domestic cricket.

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