New Delhi: Imagine a T20 World Cup match where Team India goes head-to-head with a squad that seems like the "Rest of India." Meet the USA cricket team, a melting pot of cricketing talents with a desi twist. With players like Monank Patel (captain), Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Saurabh Netravalkar, and Gajanand Singh (reserve), the USA lineup could easily be mistaken for an Indian XI.
The USA squad, captained by Monank Patel, is an eclectic mix of cricketers who've had their share of dreams and drama. Many of them had high hopes of donning the Indian jersey, played Ranji matches, led under-19 teams, and share friendships with fabled Indian players. Add a Pakistani with an enduring desire to defeat India, a West Indian who brings natural pace and bounce, and a Kiwi with an ice-cool approach, and you've got a team that's as diverse as it is determined.
Monank Patel, a stalwart for MI New York in the USA's Major Cricket League, has been a standout since his migration from Gujarat in 2016. Patel, who also played for the New Jersey Stallions in the Minor League Cricket, was instrumental in the USA's win over Pakistan with a personal score of 50.
"The team has come a long way. If we rewind three to four years, the MLC created a demand for cricket players in America. Players from cricket-playing nations saw this as a great opportunity to earn money and pursue their passion in the Big Apple," says former USA Cricket Board member Sushil Kumar Nadkarni.
He adds, "Harmeet, Unmukt (Chand), Milind – they all moved here to start a new life. The ICC's three-year cool-off rule made them eligible to play for the USA."
Nadkarni isn't surprised by the USA team's performance, though their level of success has exceeded his expectations. "They've played a lot of domestic cricket in India before moving here, and it shows," he says.
For many players in the USA team, facing India is an emotional homecoming. Saurabh Netravalkar, who once bowled to India skipper Rohit Sharma and is friends with Surya Kumar Yadav, says, "It will be a kind of homecoming for me and many others in my team. It's an opportunity that will be a lesson and an experience to savour forever."
