New Delhi, India

Former India U-19 World Cup-winning captain Unmukt Chand, who moved to the USA for regular cricket, has been dropped from their T20 squad for the five-match series against Canada. Corey Anderson, a former New Zealand all-rounder who also switched bases in the lure of finding a permanent spot in the playing XI, has been picked to represent the team for this series, pressing his case for making his T20 World Cup debut for the USA later in June.

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Having performed well across three seasons in Minor League (MiLC), amassing over 1,500 runs in 45 matches, Chand stood at the top of run charts in the competition history. He also made headlines at the National T20 competition and inroads in the three practice matches after that, adding 70 in the training camp to press his case for selection for the 20-team tournament. Despite all this, the selectors overlooked him.

Monank Patel will captain the side, and Aaron Jones will be his deputy.

Here is the USA squad for the Canada T20 series –

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Monank Patel (captain), Aaron Jones (vice-captain), Corey Anderson, Gajanand Singh, Jessy Singh, Saurabh Netravalkar, Nisarg Patel, Steven Taylor, Andries Gous, Harmeet Singh, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Nostush Kenjige, Milind Kumar, Nitish Kumar and Usman Rafiq

Meanwhile, the 33-year-old Corey Anderson is all set to make his international debut for the USA, having moved here in 2020. Following a stellar run at the domestic T20 competitions, wherein he scored over 900 runs in 28 games, striking at over 146, Anderson made the cut in the side for the Canada series, sealing his chances of playing the marquee tournament in the USA and the Caribbean.  

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On the other hand, another Indian, spinner Harmeet Singh, who rose to fame since his U-19 heroics in the 2012 edition, has been picked in the 15-man squad. Under his leadership, MiLC side Seattle Thunderbolts won the competition in 2022. Harmeet was also the number one domestic draft pick in the Major League Cricket (MLC), where he played for the Seattle Orcas. 

Besides, former Delhi and RCB batter Milind Kumar has also found a place in the side for the Canada T20Is. Milind was among the top run-getters in the MiLC, smashing over 1100 runs in 35 matches. 

Meanwhile, ex-Canada captain Nitish Kumar will return to playing international cricket after shifting in 2021.