Former U-19 winning World Cup captain Unmukt Chand retires from Indian cricket

Former Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Unmukt Chand has announced his retirement from Indian cricket. He took to social media to make the announcement and added that he will seek better opportunities around the world.

It is believed that he is looking to move to the USA where he can continue his cricketing career.

"After thinking for a while, I still could not find the perfect beginning to this letter. Writing this down brings out mixed emotions in me. I don't know how I should be feeling cause honestly I am still figuring it out. The very thought of not being able to represent my country again literally stops my heartbeat for a while," Chand wrote on his official Twitter profile.

T3- On to the next innings of my life #JaiHind🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/w84kWeCqhM

— Unmukt Chand (@UnmuktChand9) August 13, 2021

"I have grown up playing cricket with just one and only dream of playing for India. The love for this game has been very pure for me and I am grateful to have achieved a few milestones along the way. From getting up early in the morning for training, scheduling my entire day around cricket and trying to find out ways to become a better player has always been my drive and motivation and still keeps me going as the journey is only halfway through.

"Playing amongst the best players in India and across the world has taught me a lot. I would also like to thank DDCA for giving me an opportunity so early on in my career to rub shoulders with the stalwarts of Delhi and Indian cricket. Having spent time around these legends for so many years has been instrumental in my own. journey. I want to thank all my fellow players, coaches, support staff for bringing out the best in me. I will forever cherish these memories."

Chand led India to the U-19 World Cup title in 2012 where he finished as his side's highest run-getter with 246 runs at 49.20, which included an unbeaten 111 in the final against Australia. The 28-year-old, who has also led India A, never managed to get a call-up to the senior side. Having played majority of his career for Delhi, he had moved to Uttarakhand since the 2019-20 season. 

Overall, he has played 67 first-class matches and close to 200 limited-overs fixtures, which included stints in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with Rajasthan Royals (RR), Delhi Daredevils (DD) and Mumbai Indians (MI).