Unmukt Chand scored 68 runs from 45 balls in the first MLC 2024 match.© X (Twitter)
Remember Unmukt Chand? The right-handed top-order batsman once captained an U19 World Cup-winning India team and has seen his fair share of ups and downs since then. Now, despite switching to American citizenship, Chand has been left out of the US squad that shocked everyone and reached the Super 8 of the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, Chand, 31, has a point to prove and began the second season of Major League Cricket (MLC) – the US’s franchise T20 competition – with a swashbuckling half-century.
Interestingly, Chand’s current MLC franchise is Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR), who are owned by the Knight Riders group. Many will remember that Chand’s downfall began when he was famously clean bowled by Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Brett Lee in the opening ball of IPL 2013.
After finishing bottom of the table in the inaugural season of MLC last year, LAKR needed a strong start for MLC 2024. Chand, batting third, took charge in the opening match against Texas Super Kings after openers Jason Roy and Sunil Narine were dismissed for two runs each.
Chand made 68 from 45 balls, hitting six 4s and three 6s. No other batter in the LAKR lineup passed 30, and only one passed 20. It was Chand's effort that took LAKR to a respectable total of 162/7.
Star names like David Miller and Andre Russell also failed to score much, with Russell making just 10 while Miller was four out after his T20 World Cup final heartbreaking.
In response, Texas Super Kings (TSK) fell short by 12 runs. Frontline USA pacer Ali Khan dismantled the TSK middle order, taking three wickets, leaving TSK with four wickets lost in five balls between the 14th and 15th over.
The next game between Los Angeles Knight Riders and San Francisco Unicorns is on July 8.
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