- Captain of India’s U-19 World Cup winning team in 2012 will feature in “Cricket for the Community” match-up for Minor League Cricket’s Strikers this weekend
- Chand signs to Major League Cricket to be part of the long-term development of the game in the United States
Minor League Cricket is pleased to announce that Unmukt Chand, captain of India’s victorious U-19 World Cup team in 2012, has signed for the Silicon Valley Strikers for the 2021 season. Chand has featured in the Indian Premier League and scored more than 4500 runs in List A cricket. Chand will make his debut for the Strikers against the Socal Lashings this Saturday, Aug. 14, at Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex in Morgan Hill, CA in a Toyota Minor League Cricket Championship presented by SLING TV match-up.
Chand, 28, has relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and signed a multi-year agreement with Major League Cricket to support the development of the game in the United States by playing with and mentoring the next generation of American cricketers.
“I’m delighted to take the next step in my cricket career by being part of the long-term growth of American cricket and the launch of Major League Cricket,” said Chand. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to play for the Strikers in Minor League Cricket starting this weekend and help grow the sport locally in the Bay Area, where I have already seen impressive passion for the game of cricket.”
The Strikers versus Lashings game this Saturday morning, starting at 10 AM PST, will be part of a special “Cricket for the Community Day” at Morgan Hill and is free for all fans to attend. The community day of cricket will feature a doubleheader of Minor League Cricket games along with the opportunity for fans to meet and greet with international star cricketers, enjoy food from local food trucks, music and other entertainment.
Following the Strikers’ morning match-up with the Lashings, the East Bay Blazers will take on the San Diego Surf Riders with the first ball scheduled for 3 PM PST. Multiple international cricketers including Rusty Theron, Elmore Hutchinson and Saurabh Netravalkar of the USA National Team along with Shehan Jayasuriya of Sri Lanka are expected to play during the day.
The action at Morgan Hill will take place on the third weekend of play for the Toyota Minor League Cricket Championship, the most extensive competition to ever take place in the history of American cricket. The tournament represents a new dawn for the sport in the United States, with 27 participating teams competing over 218 matches scheduled to take place in 21 cities nationwide culminating in a finals weekend on Oct. 2-3. Total prize money of $250,000 for the competition represents the largest purse ever on offer in American cricket.
The Toyota Minor League Cricket Championship is a national Twenty20 cricket competition for 27 city-based teams from across the United States, launched this summer. More than 200 games will take place at 26 venues, featuring more than 400 players. Minor League Cricket will provide a foundational structure for cricket in the United States, providing a pathway to Major League Cricket and the United States National Team for the nation’s best players.
