5 IPL players who are now involved with USA Cricket
The United States of America is one of the top nations in the world. However, USA Cricket team has not been so successful yet. The USA have always done well in Olympics sports, but their cricket team is still finding its feet. Recently, USA Cricket decided to make foreign recruits.
International players like Sami Aslam, Dane Piedt, Narsingh Deonarine, Xavier Marshall and others have switched to USA Cricket of late. A few former Indian Premier League players are also now involved with the United States of America. Here's a look at five such players.
5. Former Mumbai Indians star Corey Anderson will soon play for USA Cricket team
Corey Anderson was a match-winner for the New Zealand cricket team in white-ball cricket. The southpaw could hit the ball out of the park regularly and also pick up some wickets with his medium pace. However, injuries derailed his career.
In the IPL, Corey had plied his trade for the Mumbai Indians, the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Delhi Capitals. Many Mumbai fans remember him for his excellent knock in the match against the Rajasthan Royals, which helped the Indians qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2014. Now, Anderson has quit New Zealand cricket to make a career in the USA.
4. Sunny Sohal
SQUAD NEWS: Ali Khan has been ruled out of the Americas #T20WorldCup Qualifier with an injury and Sunny Sohal has been brought in as his replacement#WeAreUSACricket๐บ๐ธ pic.twitter.com/DXtZfnUpUx
โ USA Cricket (@usacricket) August 21, 2019
Punjab-born batsman Sunny Sohal was a part of three franchises in the Indian Premier League. He played for his home team Punjab Kings and then was a part of the Deccan Chargers and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
After he did not get proper opportunities in India, he decided to move to the USA. Currently, Sohal is a part of the American T20I team and has also played international cricket for them.
3. Liam Plunkett is keen to play for USA Cricket team
England's Liam Plunkett is looking to switch to USA. He will be eligible to play for USA in 2022 given he gets a USA passport. His wife is American. @usacricket
โ Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) February 4, 2020
English fast bowler Liam Plunkett is a white-ball specialist and has been very successful in the shorter formats of the game. Plunkett was once a part of the Delhi Capitals squad in IPL.
Although he is fit, he has not got enough chances to play for England. In a recent interview, Plunkett stated that he was looking forward to play for USA if he got an opportunity.
"My kids might be American, so it would be quite cool to say to them that I played for England and the US," Plunkett said.
2. Ali Khan
Ali Khan was the first American player to bag a contract in the Indian Premier League. The Kolkata Knight Riders signed him as a replacement player in IPL 2020.
Khan had done well in the Caribbean Premier League. However, he got injured during IPL 2020, which did not allow him to make his debut for KKR.
1. Rusty Theron
That winning feeling! ๐๐ช
โ USA Cricket (@usacricket) November 26, 2019
Check out the match-report as Rusty Theron was the hero closing out a thrilling win to end #TeamUSA๐บ๐ธ's #Super50 campaign with triumph over Guyana Jaguars๐ฌ๐พ
๐LINKโก๏ธ: https://t.co/3Z6LLsfSAQ pic.twitter.com/HQEosabuMP
Champions League T20 fans would remember how Rusty Theron became a popular name in T20 cricket with his death bowling skills. The South African speedster earned the attention of multiple IPL franchises.
He played for the Rajasthan Royals and the Punjab Kings in the league. He left South African cricket a few years to start a new life in the USA. However, cricket returned to his life in the US and he plays international cricket for them now.