Nikhil Chaudhary (born 4 May 1996) is an Indian-born cricketer. He currently plays in the Big Bash League (BBL) for the Hobart Hurricanes. He is only the second India-born cricketer to play in the BBL, following Unmukt Chand.[1]
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 4 May 1996 Delhi, India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm Off break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | All-Rounder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016/17–2018/19 | Punjab | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023/24– | Hobart Hurricanes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 29 December 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Early life
editChaudhary was born in Delhi, India.[2] Chaudhary moved to Punjab in his early years.[1] Initially aspiring to be a fast bowler, he later shifted to offspin and ultimately to legspin, while also developing as an aggressive batsman.[1]
Career
editBy 2017, Chaudhary had emerged in Indian domestic cricket as a batting all-rounder. He made his Twenty20 debut for Punjab in the 2016–17 Inter State Twenty-20 Tournament on 29 January 2017.[3] Despite training under cricketers such as Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh in Punjab, his career in India did not lead to an IPL selection, with unsuccessful trials at Mumbai Indians.[1]
His career took a turn when he was stranded in Brisbane during the COVID-19 pandemic while he was on a travel visa.[1] During this period, he actively participated in club cricket, gaining notice for his performance, especially in a semi-final where he hit seven sixes.[1] The performance led to his inclusion in the BBL after a recommendation from a local coach.[1] During this period, he also worked various jobs in Brisbane, including a brief period at a Mexican restaurant and a longer tenure as a courier with Australia Post to support himself.[1]
In 2023, after playing grade cricket in Brisbane,[4] Chaudhary joined the Hobart Hurricanes of the Big Bash League for the 2023–24 season.[5][6]
Legal issues
editIn March 2024, Chaudhary stood trial in the District Court of Queensland on a charge of raping a woman in his car in Townsville in 2021, and was found not guilty. The Hobart Hurricanes said they were unaware of the charges before the trial started.[7][8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h "From Punjab to Big Bash, the journey of big-hitting Nikhil Chaudhary". ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ "Nikhil Chaudhary". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- ^ "Inter State Twenty-20 Tournament, North Zone: Haryana v Punjab at Nadaun, Jan 29, 2017". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ Cherny, Daniel (7 November 2023). "BBL 2023: Hobart Hurricanes sign Nikhil Chaudhary and Sam Heazlett". The Toowoomba Chronicle. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ Bevis, Jacob (7 November 2023). "Hurricanes recruit big hitting duo in a bid for consistency". The Advocate. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ Rosendale, Ryan (1 December 2023). "Hobart Hurricanes recruit Nikhil Chaudhary to debut in CTPL for Glenorchy". The Mercury. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ "Big Bash cricketer stands trial for allegedly raping woman outside nightclub". ABC News. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ "Hobart Hurricanes player found not guilty of rape in Townsville trial". ABC News. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.