Why only Unmukt Chand, how can anyone forget Taruwar Kohli. A brilliant batsman coming from North India was an important part of the 2008 Under 19 World Cup winning team, which also included current Indian captain Virat Kohli, but what happened was that Taruwar Kohli did not get a chance to play for India. Due to some management mistakes and a wrong coaching staff, Taruwar Kohli may not have got the guidance he needed after 2008. Virat Kohli is definitely a great batsman today, but Taruwar Kohli was no less than a storm, which might have ended in the shadows.
After 2008, the name of Unmukt Chand, the captain of the 2012 Under 19 World Cup winning team, made a lot of headlines and was probably considered as the future star of India. But despite being talented, this magician did not get a single chance to play in the Indian team where there are Stuart Binny, Vijay Shankar, Hardik Pandya and many others who got a chance to play India only because of the recommendation.
Recently, Unmukt Chand surprised everyone with the decision of his retirement and said that despite not getting the opportunity, he thought that enough has happened now, “I would like to say that things have not been as smooth in the last few years and opportunities have been denied. Though a part of me is not at peace with the way things have unfolded in the last few years, I still choose to see the silver lining and with fond memories bid adieu to BCCI and seek better opportunities around the world.”
Saying further, Unmukt Chand paid tribute to everyone who supported him till, “Cricket is a universal game and even though the means might change, the end goal is still the same – to play cricket at the highest level. Also, a huge thanks to all my supporters and well-wishers for always carrying me in their heart. There is no better feeling than being loved and appreciated for who you are. I feel eternally blessed to have such a genuine family. Thank you everyone. Looking forward to the next chapter…”
Opportunity to not play for his home team Delhi for a long time, while opportunities to many such players, who may not even get a place in the team of Unmukt Chand, “Well yeah, the last couple of years have been a bit tough on me. Last season, I didn’t get a single game for Delhi. And then again, the same regime, I didn’t know whether I’ll get a game again or not. There were so many ‘if nots’, concerns with the domestic cricket in India right now. So, I didn’t want to go through the same process, it was mental torture for me to see myself sitting out and XYZ playing the games, who I wouldn’t even consider in my club teams," Chand in his recent conversation.
“So, these things happen and the whole purity goes away. It just didn’t make sense and I just didn’t want to waste any more time thinking whether these guys will play or not. So, when these things start happening, you are just not into it then. Obviously, I have got a limited number of years and I got to play good cricket, and staying in limbo is a very, very bad place to be in,” he added.
