The announcement of Nikhil Chaudhary in Australia’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh has created a lot of excitement among fans and also brought a light-hearted social media moment involving former Australia star Lisa Sthalekar.
The all-rounder born in Delhi is all set to make his international debut after being selected for the T20I series against Bangladesh, thanks to his excellent performances for Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes. While fans cheered for him, a tweet emerged stating that Chaudhary would be the first India-born cricketer to represent Australia after more than 60 years.
The post instantly went viral, but Sthalekar, a former Australia all-rounder, jumped in to playfully remind everyone of Australian cricket history.
Reacting to the tweet, she said:
“Really?? First in 60 years “
The former Australia all-rounder’s tweet, made in jest, quickly became the center of discussion among cricket lovers.
Sthalekar’s Reminder Brings Important Context
Following Sthalekar’s response, the tweet was revised, and it was clarified that Chaudhary would be the first India-born player to represent the Australian men’s side in over 60 years.
This is important because Sthalekar herself was born in Pune but was brought up in Australia. She then became one of the greatest cricketers to have ever played for Australia and led the Australian women’s cricket team to multiple World Cup titles. She also made it to the ICC Hall of Fame, which speaks volumes about her career.
In her career for the Australian women’s team, she played 187 international matches and was also a vital member of the multiple World Cup-winning campaigns.
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Chaudhary Still Close to a Rare Milestone
Although the initial information required correction, Chaudhary is on the cusp of a major milestone.
If selected against Bangladesh, he will be the first Australia born Indian player to play for the Australian men’s team since Rex Sellers in 1964. The Gujarat born leg spinner played a Test for Australia in the 1964 tour to India.
His road to a possible Australia cap has been an interesting one. Before shifting to Australia, he was playing domestic cricket for India, having played alongside the likes of Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, before working his way up club cricket, state cricket and establishing himself at the Tasmanian state side and the Hobart Hurricanes.
So on the verge of making his Australia cap, Chaudhary could be part of history while Sthalekar’s amicable tweet means that an aspect of Australian cricketing history has not been overlooked.
