Punjab to Big Bash Nikhil Chaudhary

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From Punjab to Big Bash, the journey of big-hitting Nikhil Chaudhary

Only the second India-born cricketer to play in the BBL, Chaudhary hopes to settle in Australia and build a formidable career

Tristan Lavalette31-Dec-2023

Nikhil Chaudhary has suddenly become an X-factor for Hurricanes •

Nikhil Chaudhary decided to sleep off his gnawing concerns. He had returned home seemingly buoyant after smashing 71 off 28 balls to power Northern Suburbs into Queensland's T20 Max final.

It was the type of belligerence, as he unfurled his 360-degree hitting, that Chaudhary has since showcased for Hobart Hurricanes in an eye-catching start to his BBL career.

Chaudhary, rampant in the local ranks since moving to Brisbane from India four years ago, had blasted seven sixes in the semi-final against a Gold Coast attack featuring fringe Test quick Michael Neser and Hobart Hurricanes allrounder Mitchell Owen.

But even those heroics in early September did little to shake Chaudhary's apprehension of not yet securing a BBL

contract with the season fast approaching. The 27-year-old had previously been called up to the Brisbane Heat as a Covid-19 replacement player but his once-promising career, having represented India at the Under-19 level, appeared in limbo.

"It was in the back of my mind that I would get a contract, but you never know," Chaudhary told ESPNcricinfo. "When you expect something and it doesn't happen, it tears you apart."

The next morning, Chaudhary was shaken from his stupor by a call from Kendel Fleming, his agent.

"We did it!" Fleming beamed.

"What do you mean?" a dumbfounded Chaudhary responded.

"Hurricanes sent me the contract. We did it!"

Chaudhary was unable to speak for the next 30 seconds and felt numb until he finally uttered: "Are you serious?"

"It was totally different to India and I like the culture here. I wanted to pursue my cricket in Australia. I just wanted a change and to grow as a person"

Nikhil Chaudhary

Chaudhary sat stunned after the phone call that changed his career as he contemplated his cricket journey, which was initially sparked by wanting to bowl like former Australia quick Brett Lee.

"I started as a fast bower. I wanted the same action like Brett Lee as did everyone at school," Chaudhary, who was born in New Delhi and moved to Punjab with his family at a young age, said.

Like many others, Chaudhary was unable to replicate Lee's fire, so he reverted to offspin as a teenager. But he always had a penchant for batting aggressively.

By the time he rose through the ranks in 2017 and into Indian domestic cricket, Chaudhary was a batting allrounder - a medium pacer before eventually turning to legspin - as he walked into a Punjab team captained by former India spinner Harbhajan Singh.

"There was an immense pressure to play under such a big, big name," Chaudhary said of Harbhajan. "In India, cricket is totally different. People call them [star players] gods for a reason. I was nervous because he [Harbhajan] was a very strong figure, but when I got to know him, he was very humble."

Strongly built with a creative but calm approach at the crease, Chaudhary's game naturally gravitated towards T20 cricket. And at Punjab, he was something like a sponge being under the tutelage of former India allrounder Yuvraj Singh.

"I learned a lot of things from him, like how to build an innings, tackle big targets and how to go deep into the innings," Chaudhary said of Yuvraj. "I knew my capability of scoring runs at any stage of the game. I really wanted to crack the IPL and also play for India."

In late 2019, Chaudhary twice trialled with Mumbai Indians but didn't make the final cut for the IPL. Shortly afterwards, he went on a holiday to Australia but remained focused on furthering his cricket career in India.

Nikhil Chaudhary made his BBL debut in style by top-scoring for Hobart Hurricanes

Everything changed when Australia's borders shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Chaudhary found himself stuck in Brisbane. When restrictions eased, he immersed himself in the community and unexpectedly found a new home.

Living with his family in India, Chaudhary had been almost entirely focused on cricket, but in Brisbane, he had to stand on his own feet. He briefly worked at a Mexican restaurant before realising he was "not good with knives" after his index finger received a nasty gash.

Chaudhary was far more content working as a courier at Australia Post, a job he held for a couple of years and made him know Brisbane "inside out". But through all of this, he never wavered over his cricket ambitions. "My goal was to crack into the Big Bash because I wanted more people to see the level that I could get to," he said.

Having relaunched his career in late 2020, Chaudhary quickly gained attention with his cavalier batting flaying attacks on grounds across Brisbane.

"I didn't have to change my technique on these fast and bouncy wickets because domestic cricket in India is often played on those wickets. They are not those sharp turning pitches you see in Test matches," he said. "Every player is talented in Brisbane [local cricket]. It's tough competition and I felt confident in my game having played well in these matches."

Enduring a nervous wait, Chaudhary's BBL opportunity came after a recommendation from his Northern Suburbs coach James Hopes, who is on the coaching staff at Hurricanes.

Chaudhary, however, faced a tough task cracking into a powerful Hurricanes batting line-up packed with players mostly free of international commitments. But his explosiveness and flexibility with both bat and ball greatly intrigued the Hurricanes hierarchy.

"It doesn't matter how big the boundaries are, I'm going over the top"
Nikhil Chaudhary

"You're one of those players who can bat and bowl anywhere. So just be ready," coach Jeff Vaughan told Chaudhary ahead of the season.

Just before Christmas, Hurricanes travelled to Perth for their second match of the season with Chaudhary set to be the 12th man. As he prepared to have breakfast on match day, Chaudhary received a call from Vaughan.

"Wadey [Matthew Wade] is not feeling well with his back, so there might be a chance that you will play," Vaughan said.

Chaudhary could not finish his breakfast, but his hopes of a BBL debut rested on Wade getting through a batting session in the nets. One hour before the match started, Chaudhary found out that he was playing and listed at No. 6 as Hurricanes batted first on a fast and bouncy Optus Stadium surface.

Hurricanes' top order crumbled against two-time defending champions Scorchers' star-studded attack. In his first delivery of the BBL season, speedster Lance Morris dismissed opener Caleb Jewell as Hurricanes slumped to 28 for 4 in the fifth over.

Chaudhary entered feeling the heat - literally too, with the temperature at 37 degrees Celsius - and facing a pumped-up Morris, arguably the fastest bowler in the country, who was raring to go having been released from Australia's Test squad.

"I was very nervous. I had never played in front of that big a crowd," Chaudhary said of the nearly 30,000 fans at the Scorchers' home opener. "For the first couple of balls, it was a bit of a pressure situation for me."

But words of wisdom from Hopes, who played 96 white-ball matches for Australia, rang in his ear.

"I talk to him all the time and he always says that it doesn't matter what is happening, just play your own game,"

Chaudhary said. "So I said to myself, 'It doesn't matter who is bowling to me, if it's in my slot I'm going to play my shots

Chaudhary soon smashed consecutive boundaries through the off side off Morris and his BBL career was underway. He showed exquisite timing to punch seamer Andrew Tye down the ground before treating Morris with disdain by coming down the track and whacking him through extra cover.

He had a half-century in his sights before chopping onto left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff to fall on 40 from 31 balls.

"For my game...the more pressure, the better I perform," Chaudhary said.

In his next opportunity at the crease, Chaudhary cracked 32 off 16 balls against Melbourne Stars at Blundstone Arena marked by a remarkable six over backward point off Pakistan quick Haris Rauf that did the rounds on social media.

"It doesn't matter how big the boundaries are, I'm going over the top," he said.

Just the second India-born cricketer to play in the BBL, following in the