Former Hong Kong captain Anshuman Rath named in Odisha’s squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

Domestic cricketers in India are gearing up with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Tournament being round the corner. The competition will get underway on November 4 while the final will take place on 22 in the same month. Among the many notable players featuring in the competition, there will be Anshuman Rath, the former captain of the Hong Kong national team.

The 23-year-old left-hand top-order batter will be playing for Odisha in India’s upcoming 2021-22 domestic season. Holder of an Indian passport, Rath featured in 18 ODIs and 20 T20Is for Hong Kong. However, he decided to come back to India in order to pursue his dream of representing the Indian national team.  Notably, Rath had to complete the mandatory year-long cooling-off period to become eligible to feature as a local player under BCCI’s ambit.

It has been a tough journey to say the least: Anshuman Rath

Rath was nothing but ecstatic after receiving the Odisha jersey for the upcoming tournament. The southpaw took to Instagram and expressed his delight. “4 years and 6 months… it’s been a tough journey to say the least and would like to thank all the people who stuck by me during this difficult period,” wrote Rath while sharing the snap of his Odisha jersey.

 

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“Would like to thank @cricketodisha for giving me an opportunity when others wouldn’t and can’t wait to get out there and do what I do best. No looking back now. We go up from here,” he added. If one many recall, the left-handed batter played against India while leading Hong Kong in the 2018 Asia Cup. Chasing 286 for victory, Rath added 174 runs for the first wicket alongside Nizakat Khan as a great upset was on the cards.

However, Indian bowlers bounced back and took their side to a 26-run win. Rath scored 73 off 97 deliveries in that game. In 2019, he quit Hong Kong cricket to play for the Indian side. Speaking of his numbers, Anshuman has scored 828 runs in ODIs, including a century, seven fifties, and has also taken 14 wickets. In T20Is, he has slammed 321 runs and taken five wickets. Hence, he would be confident of doing well in the Indian domestic circuit.