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Corey Anderson and Harmeet Singh have been selected for the USA squad, while Unmukt Chand did not make the cut
Former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson has been selected in the 15-man USA squad for the five-match T20I series against Canada. Anderson is among several new faces in the USA squad, as many players who moved to America after the Major League Cricket (MLC) announcement are now eligible to play for the USA team. Other new inclusions in the squad are former players Harmeet Singh, Milind Kumar, Andries Gous, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, and Nitish Kumar.
The 33-year-old Anderson is poised to return to international cricket after more than five years, having last played for New Zealand in November 2018. Anderson relocated to the United States in 2020 and has excelled in domestic T20 tournaments. Since arriving in the US, Anderson has scored over 900 runs in 28 innings, with a strike rate of 146 in the Minor League Cricket (MiLC). He was one of the standout domestic batsmen in the MLC, highlighted by a rapid 94-run innings against a strong MI New York side.
Former India U19 player Harmeet Singh has been recognized for his consistent performances in domestic cricket, notably leading his MiLC team, Seattle Thunderbolts, to victory in 2022. Singh was subsequently selected as the number one domestic draft pick in MLC history, joining the Seattle Orcas. His former teammate from the Thunderbolts, Andries Gous, has also earned a spot in the team due to his impressive performances in the MiLC and some explosive innings on the global stage in the Abu Dhabi T10 and the International League T20.
His compatriot and pace-bowling all-rounder Shadley Van Schalkwyk has also been included in the squad. Van Schalkwyk, with more than 80 first-class matches under his belt in South Africa, played a crucial role in Singh’s successful Thunderbolts team in 2022.
Former Delhi and RCB batsman Milind Kumar has earned a place in the squad due to his consistently strong performances in the MiLC, where he scored over 1100 runs in 35 innings, along with some impressive innings for the Texas Super Kings. Meanwhile, former Canada captain Nitish Kumar is poised to make an emotional comeback to international cricket against his former team, having moved across the border in 2021. Kumar is considered a surprise inclusion in the squad, edging out strong competition, including Unmukt Chand. Although Kumar hasn’t been exceptional in the MiLC, he has made the team due to some impressive performances in national T20 matches and practice games during the training camp.
Among the current players, Monank Patel is set to captain the side with Aaron Jones as his deputy. Steven Taylor has secured his place in the team with some powerful performances in the national T20 matches and practice games. Despite being 36 years old, Gajanand Singh retains his place in the squad. In a departure from the typical modern T20 strategy, USA has opted for four finger spinners in their squad.Nostush Kenjige makes a comeback to T20Is after a six-year absence.┬а All-rounder Nisarg Patel and Usman Rafiq complete the spin options. Ali Khan’s injury has increased the workload for experienced campaigners Saurabh Netravalkar and Jessy Singh, who form the pace attack alongside Van Schalkwyk.
Chand might feel overlooked despite three impressive MiLC seasons where he scored runs consistently. With over 1500 runs in 45 innings, Chand is second on the all-time run charts in the MiLC. Despite a quiet spell in the National T20 and the first three practice games, Chand finished the training camp strongly with a score in the 70s to stake his claim for selection.┬а
Similarly, the puzzling exclusion of Shayan Jahangir, who was the highest scorer for USA in their last assignment at the 50 Over World Cup Qualifiers and the preferred opener for MI New York, is likely to cause a stir in American cricket circles. It also appears increasingly unlikely that Shehan Jayasuriya will have any World Cup prospects, as he was omitted from the training camp and the Canada series after failing the yo-yo test.
USA Squad for the 5-match T20I series against Canada: Monank Patel (captain), Aaron Jones (vice-captain), Corey Anderson, Gajanand Singh, Jessy Singh, Saurabh Netravalkar, Nisarg Patel, Steven Taylor, Andries Gous, Harmeet Singh, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Nostush Kenjige, Milind Kumar, Nitish Kumar, Usman Rafiq
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