Follow UsBorn in Delhi, raised in Punjab, played Under-19 cricket for the state and then got stuck in Australia during Covid-19. What happened after that in Nikhil Chaudhary’s cricketing career is nothing short of straight from a fairy tale novel.
The 29-year-old was 23 when he got stuck in Australia while on a holiday to visit his uncle. He couldn’t return till nearly 2021 because of stringent movement conditions in both Australia and India, as he was stuck on the Gold Coast, where he decided to play local cricket.
After five years of hard work, he broke into the Big Bash League (BBL) and has now found his way into List-A and First-Class cricket as well. The all-rounder created history on November 24 (Monday) as he became the first Indian in nearly 50 years to hit a century in the Sheffield Shield, Australia’s prestigious First-Class cricket tournament.
Chaudhary smashed 163 off 184 balls, becoming the highest-scorer for Tasmania against New South Wales in their latest round of the competition. In his knock, the right-hander hit five sixes and nine fours in his innings.
Earlier this season, while making his First-Class debut for Tasmania, Chaudhary had utilised his spin bowling to a great extent and picked up a five-wicket haul in the very first game. However, he got two more games after that and was dropped. The all-rounder made a comeback after being out for one match.