Hobart Hurricanes all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary is on the verge of making history after earning a call-up to Australia’s T20I squad for next week’s series against Bangladesh.
The 30-year-old was drafted into the squad following Travis Head’s withdrawal on personal leave. Chaudhary, currently playing for JB Bruges in the EUT20 competition in Belgium after a stint with Delhi Capitals in the IPL, is set to join the Australian squad in Dhaka on Friday.
If selected, the Delhi-born all-rounder would become the first Indian-born man to play for Australia since Gujarat-born leg-spinner Rex Sellers featured in the 1964 Calcutta Test. Pune-born Lisa Sthalekar, who was adopted by Australian parents as an infant, became a mainstay of Australia’s dominant women’s side in the 2000s.
Chaudhary’s journey to the national setup has been anything but conventional. After representing Punjab in 14 limited-overs matches alongside players such as Harbhajan Singh, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma, he moved to Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic while visiting family in Queensland. He worked various jobs, including in a restaurant and as a postal delivery worker, before earning an opportunity with the Hurricanes through former Australia allrounder James Hopes.
A fan favorite for his aggressive batting and Kabaddi-inspired celebrations, Chaudhary has become a key figure for Hobart over the past three BBL seasons. He scored 307 runs at a strike rate of 153 during BBL|14 and recently secured his first Tasmania contract after a Sheffield Shield season that included a century and a five-wicket haul.
He will compete for a middle-order spot in Australia’s T20I side alongside Aaron Hardie and Joel Davies.
(With inputs from Cricket Australia)
Published on Jun 11, 2026
