Former Indian U-19 WC skipper Unmukt Chand signs multi-year deal with US League Cricket

Chand, who announced his retirement from Indian cricket on Friday, will make his debut for the Strikers against the Socal Lashings at the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex in a Toyota Minor League Cricket Championship on Saturday.

The Minor League Cricket Championship is a national Twenty20 cricket competition for 27 city-based teams from across the United States, launched this summer. More than 200 games will take place at 26 venues, featuring more than 400 players.

The League will lay a foundational structure for cricket in the United States, providing a pathway to Major League Cricket and the country's national team.
According to the league website, the 28-year-old has relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and signed a multi-year agreement with Major League Cricket to support the development of the game in the United States by playing with and mentoring the next generation of American cricketers.

''I’m delighted to take the next step in my cricket career by being part of the long-term growth of American cricket and the launch of Major League Cricket,'' said Chand.

''I’m excited to have the opportunity to play for the Strikers in Minor League Cricket starting this weekend and help grow the sport locally in the Bay Area, where I have already seen impressive passion for the game of cricket,'' he added.

Total prize money of 2,50,000 dollar for the competition represents the largest purse ever on offer in American cricket.

Chand, who came into the limelight after scoring an unbeaten knock of 111 in the final of the 2012 U-19 World Cup, played 67 first-class games, scoring 3379 runs at an average of 31.57.

He fared better in List A cricket, where he scored 4505 runs at an average of 41.33 in 120 outings. In T20s, he had 1565 runs at an average of 22.35 and a strike rate of 116.09 in 77 games.