IPL 2021: 3 Indian players who were once IPL stars but have now moved to USA
The IPL has given a platform to budding Indian cricketers to compete with the best players in the world and showcase their talents.
Players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devdutt Padikkal, Deepak Chahar and many others have represented India at international level after impressing in the Indian Premier League.
However, not every cricketer who performs well in the IPL has been able to earn a place in the national team. Some of them retired and moved to another profession, while three IPL stars have now moved to the USA. In this listicle, we will look at those three players.
#1 Unmukt Chand (IPL Winner in 2015)
Former India U-19 captain Unmukt Chand retired from Indian cricket earlier this month and shifted to the USA. He has signed a contract in the Minor League Cricket and is expected to play for the American cricket team in the future.
Chand played for three franchises in his IPL career. He started with the Delhi Capitals before representing the Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals. The right-handed batsman had forgettable stints with DC and RR, but he won the IPL title with MI in 2015.
The 28-year-old played seven matches for the Mumbai-based franchise, scoring 102 runs, with his highest score being 58. Before IPL Auction 2017, an IPL franchise asked Chand to quit MI and promised him more game time. Chand received his release from Mumbai but went unsold at the auction.
After staying away from the IPL for four years, Chand has now decided to resume his cricketing career in the USA.
#2 Siddharth Trivedi (IPL Winner in 2008)
Medium pacer Siddharth Trivedi was a member of the Rajasthan Royals squad that won the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008. Trivedi remained a part of the Royals squad until the 2013 season.
To date, he is the highest wicket-taker for the Royals in the tournament's history. Trivedi played 76 games, scalping 65 wickets at an economy rate of 7.59. The BCCI handed him a one-year ban in connection with the IPL 2013 spot-fixing case. Since then, Trivedi has been away from the league.
Earlier this year, Trivedi decided to board a flight to America and start a new career in Minor League Cricket.
#3 Sunny Sohal
While Unmukt Chand and Siddharth Trivedi only moved to the USA in 2021, former Deccan Chargers star Sunny Sohal switched to America a long time back and has already represented them in three T20 international matches.
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Sohal came into the limelight after he scored a 41-ball 62 against the Delhi Capitals in IPL 2011. The right-handed batsman was adjudged the Player of the Match as his knock helped the Deccan Chargers win by 16 runs.
Later in the season, Sohal blasted a 30-ball 56 against defending champions Chennai Super Kings. Although he performed well in IPL 2011, the Deccan Chargers did not give him a single game in 2012. The Royal Challengers Bangalore signed him at IPL Auction 2013, but Sohal failed to get a place in the RCB playing XI.
Sohal made his international debut for the USA in 2019. He has aggregated 23 runs in two T20I innings so far.