Sthalekar Reacts as Nikhil Chaudhary Becomes Australia’s First India-Born Man in Decades

Nikhil Chaudhary has made history by playing for Australia, becoming the first India-born male cricketer to represent the country’s men’s team in more than six decades.

A landmark debut

The 30-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder was named in the XI for the match against Bangladesh. On debut he took a wicket and conceded 14 runs in two overs.

His selection prompted a witty reaction from former Australia women’s captain Lisa Sthalekar, who was herself born in India before being adopted and raised in Australia. She posted about the rarity of India-born players at the top level, mentioning cap number 117. She also made clear in earlier posts that Chaudhary was not the first India-born Australian cricketer, a nod to her own career.

How rare is it

Several players of Indian origin, including Gurinder Sandhu and Tanveer Sangha, have played for Australia. Chaudhary, however, is the first India-born man since Gujarat-born Rex Sellers, whose last Test for Australia came in 1964.

From Delhi to Australia

Born in Delhi, Chaudhary began his domestic career in India and played for Punjab between 2017 and 2019 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he travelled to Australia and could not return because of border closures. What looked like a setback became a career-defining opportunity, as he worked his way through Australian domestic cricket to a national call-up.