After the conclusion of a disappointing 2-1 ODI series loss vs Bangladesh, Australia entered the T20I leg against the Asian side with an aim to come back with a strong response. In the first game of the three-match series at Chattogram on Wednesday.
Winning the toss, Bangladesh stand-in captain Towhid Hridoy opted to bat first against the visitors. With this, the Australian side handed maiden international caps to Nikhil Choudhary and Joel Davies.
Big moment for Nikhil Choudhary
Chaudhary's debut for Australia marked a big moment, as the spin-bowling all-rounder became the third Indian-born player to represent the Aussies at the International circuit.
Before Nikhil, Gujarat-born Rex Sellar and Pune's Lisa Sthalekar got the chance to represent Australia in International cricket, placing Chaudhary in an elite list of players with Indian roots to don the Australian jersey.
All you need to know about Nikhil Chaudhary
Nikhil Chaudhary, who was born in Delhi, kicked off his cricketing journey in India and played for Punjab in domestic cricket and shared the dressing room with India's current Test and ODI skipper Shubman Gill and star opener Abhishek Sharma.
The bowling all-rounder played a total of 14 matches for Punjab, consisting of two appearances in List A cricket and 12 T20 matches.
A major twist played a key role in Chaudhary's journey in cricket. The Delhi-born all-rounder went to Queensland to spend time with his relatives, but border restrictions during covid prevented him from coming back. With his plans witnessing a major change, he started pursuing cricket in Australia.
However, Chaudhary has a temporary work visa which will run out till 2027. While he doesn't have a permanent residency, staying there for five years made him eligible to represent Australia in International cricket.