Nikhil Chaudhary [Source: X]Nikhil Chaudhary enjoyed a near-dream debut for Australia, after he was called up to the national side as a replacement of Travis Head. Taking on Bangladesh in the first T20I of their three-match series in Chattogram, the 30-year-old scored crucial runs in a low-scoring encounter and also delivered a tight two-over spell with a wicket. With his debut, Chaudhary became only the second India-born men’s cricketer to play for Australia at the highest level, and the first since Rex Sellers did it way back in 1964. After the match, the Hobart Hurricanes all-rounder seemingly rejected his Indian heritage and indirectly admitted to have fully embraced the Australian culture. Nikhil Chaudhary praises Australia at the expense of IndiaTasmania cricketer Nikhil Chaudhary has praised his adopted country, Australia, after making his international debut for them in the T20I series in Bangladesh. While speaking after the match, the 30-year-old claimed that he feels more closer to the Australian culture than to his Indian heritage. Also Read- Australia Players Who May Not Survive Until World Cup 2027 After Bangladesh HumiliationHe said “I think I'm closer to Australian culture than Indian culture. People here are very straightforward. They are very real with you, which I love. And then obviously when someone's straightforward, it's actually easy to talk to them, live with them, and cherish all the memories. It wasn't difficult for me and I had good people around me when I moved to Australia, so it wasn't tough for me.”Why did Nikhil Chaudhary move from India to Australia?Nikhil Chaudhary, born in Delhi, started out his cricketing journey while playing for Punjab’s youth teams. He even trained under the likes of legendary Indian cricketers like Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh. However, Chaudhary’s cricketing journey took an unexpected turn when he got stuck in Australia during a family holiday back during the COVID era. Deciding to stay back in the country even after the COVID lockdown restrictions were lifted, the talented all-rounder pursued his cricketing ambition ‘Down Under’, all while working odd jobs at a Mexican restaurant and at Australia Post. During an interview last year, he said “It was all God’s plan. I have no regrets in saying that staying back in Australia changed my life, my cricket. If I had been in India, my cricket career would have been a mess. You know how it works. Talent and performance don’t matter; you need strong recommendations to play cricket.” Australia crush Bangladesh to take 1-0 leadAustralia mowed down hosts Bangladesh by four wickets in Chattogram on June 17 to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. Bowling first, three-wicket hauls from Adam Zampa and Joel Davies and crucial wickets from Matt Renshaw and debutant Nikhil Chaudhary restricted Bangladesh to just 131 in 19 overs.In response, Cooper Connolly at number three minted 47 off 27 balls, and middle-order batters Tim David, Renshaw and Chaudhary scored vital runs to steer Australia past Bangladesh in just 18.2 overs. The second T20I of the series between the two sides will be played on Friday, June 19 at the same Chattogram-based venue. Also Read- Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Or MS Dhoni? Which Cricketer Is The Closest To Lionel Messi
