Who Is Nikhil Chaudhary? Delhi-Born Cricketer Scripts History During Australia's Win Over Bangladesh In 1st T20I
Nikhil Chaudhary made his Australia debut in the first T20I of the series against Bangladesh in Chattogram. On his maiden outing, the Delhi-born cricketer contributed 18 runs with the bat and picked up one wicket.
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Delhi-born batting allrounder Nikhil Chaudhary etched his name into the history books by making his debut for Australia in the first T20I of the three-match series against Bangladesh at the Bir Sreshtho Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Stadium in Chattogram on Wednesday, June 17.
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Who Is Nikhil Chaudhary?
On debut, the 30-year-old scored 18 runs off 13 balls at a strike rate of 138.46, striking two boundaries. With the ball, he claimed one wicket in his two-over spell, conceding 14 runs at an economy rate of 7.00.
Born in Delhi in 1996, Chaudhary’s life took a turn during the COVID-19 pandemic when border closures left him stranded in Australia while visiting his uncle in Queensland. He began playing district-level cricket while working minimum-wage jobs, eventually catching the eye of the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.
He has since played three seasons with the Hurricanes, winning the prestigious BBL trophy, and earned his maiden Australia call-up last week. In the opening T20I against Bangladesh, Chaudhary became only the third Indian-born cricketer to represent Australia, and the first in men’s cricket in six decades.
Does Nikhil Chaudhary Hold Australian Citizenship?
Although he does not yet hold Australian citizenship, Chaudhary has permanent residency status on a work visa valid until 2027. Having lived in Australia for five years, he qualifies to represent the country in international cricket under ICC rules.
Before moving abroad, Chaudhary featured in 14 domestic matches for Punjab between 2017 and 2020, sharing the field with stalwarts such as Harbhajan Singh, Shubman Gill, and Abhishek Sharma. He also trialled with IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.
Australia will face Bangladesh in the second T20I of the series on Friday, June 19, at the same venue in Chattogram.
Published By : Aniket Datta
Published On: 18 June 2026 at 22:07 IST