Delhi-born allrounder in line for ground-breaking debut in Chattogram next week
Nikhil Chaudhary could become the first Indian-born man to play for Australia in more than 60 years after the Hobart Hurricanes allrounder was called up for the T20I series against Bangladesh.
The ongoing absence of Travis Head, who has been granted “personal leave” after initially being named in both limited-overs squads to tour Bangladesh, has left the Aussies in need of reinforcements for the next week’s T20Is in Chattogram. Captain Mitch Marsh is also out of the ODI series but is hopeful of recovering from an ankle injury to lead the T20I side.
Chaudhary, who has been playing for JB Bruges in the EUT20 competition in Belgium and spent time with Delhi Capitals in the recent IPL, will link up with the white-ball group in Dhaka on Friday. The leg-spinning allrounder will compete for a middle-order berth with the likes of Joel Davies and Aaron Hardie, who are also in the T20I squad only.
“The panel has been impressed by his BBL form, particularly last season, leading to his addition to the squad,” selector Tony Dodemaide said of Chaudary, who trained with Australia’s white-ball group before they left for Pakistan last month.
“Nikhil will gain invaluable experience in Bangladesh and will be in contention to play his first game for Australia when we sit down to pick a team for the opening T20 fixture here next week.”
Australia has had several Indian-origin players feature in international cricket, including Gurinder Sandhu and Tanveer Sangha, but not since the 1960s (when Rex Sellars, a Gujarat-born leg-spinner who featured in the 1964 Calcutta Test) has an Indian-born man played for the national side. Lisa Sthalekar, born in Pune and adopted by Australian parents, was a star of Australia’s women’s side through the 2000s.
It means it would be a groundbreaking debut for Chaudhary if selected next week. The 30-year-old has emerged as a key cog in the Hurricanes side over the past three BBL seasons, while also developing a cult following for his on-field flair and Kabaddi-inspired wicket celebrations.
Chaudhary is not an Australian citizen but is a permanent resident and fulfils the International Cricket Council’s eligibility criteria to play for his adopted nation.
Born in Delhi, Chaudhary played 14 limited-overs games for state side Punjab alongside the likes of Harbhajan Singh, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma and trialled with IPL side Mumbai Indians.
He was visiting an uncle in Queensland when the pandemic shut international borders, seeing him pivot to furthering his cricket ambitions in Australia.
After working a variety of jobs – he cut his finger working in a Mexican restaurant and then delivered parcels as a postman – he earned a spot at the Hurricanes on the recommendation of his Northern Suburbs grade coach, the former international allrounder James Hopes.
After helping Hobart to the BBL|14 title, his best season with the bat came last summer, slamming 307 runs at 30.70 and a strike-rate of 153, although he had a reduced role with the ball due to the recruitment of fellow wrist-spinners Rehan Ahmed and Rishad Hossain.
He recently earnt his maiden state contract with Tasmania after a strong debut Sheffield Shield season in which he took a five-wicket haul (against Queensland in October) and scored a century (against NSW in November).
Curiously for a right-hander who grew up on spin-friendly surfaces in India, Chaudhary has proved more effective against pace in Australia. His strike-rate hit 180 last BBL season (up from 161 for his BBL career) while his career BBL strike-rate against spin is 118.
Australia’s T20I series begins on Wednesday next week with the second of three ODIs to be played from 3pm (AEST) today.
Qantas Tour of Bangladesh 2026
Australia ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Riley Meredith, Matthew Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Adam Zampa
June 9: First ODI: Bangladesh won by 86 runs (DLS Method)
June 11: Second ODI, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka, 3pm AEST
June 14: Third ODI, Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka, 3pm AEST
Australia T20I squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Nikhil Chaudhary, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Adam Zampa
June 17: First T20I, Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram, 6pm AEST
June 19: Second T20I, Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram, 6pm AEST
June 21: Third T20I, Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium, Chattogram, 6pm AEST
All matches exclusive on Kayo Sports and Fox Cricket
