Latest news with #Under19WorldCup
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Unmukt Chand rejuvenates his cricket career with the L.A. Knight Riders
After captaining India to an Under-19 World Cup title in 2012 — with arguably the finest performance of his life — Unmukt Chand struggled to even watch his country play on TV. After donning the royal blue and molten orange jersey as part of India A — the second rung of the national team ladder — Chand's performance dipped and his name eventually disappeared from the game-day roster for his home state team in Delhi Advertisement After donning the royal blue and molten orange jersey as part of India's A — or second-best — national team, Chand struggled and eventually fell off the game-day roster for his home state team in Delhi. After years gunning for India's main team, Chand found himself circling the fringes. His early stardom never quite translated into a stable senior career as opportunities dried up in a system overflowing with talent. By 2021, the dream was still alive, but the runway had faded and Chand decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket. 'To let go of that feeling was something which took me time, and obviously I had to do my own catharsis. I had self-identity doubts,' Chand said. Unmukt Chand revived his cricket career when he moved to the United States and eventually joined Major League Cricket's L.A. Knight Riders. (Andrew Hancock/For The Times) With the courage to start over, he unloaded his bags on American soil, where the pitch was still being laid. What the U.S. lacked in tradition, it made up for in potential, Chand said — seeing a future in a place that wasn't bound by his past. Advertisement 'We've all grown up watching American sports and the way they do sports activities, and everything around it is something very exciting,' Chand said, 'and something very different from a cricketing point of view.' Chand and his wife, Simran Khosla, settled on relocating to Dallas. It was a leap made solely for cricket — one that left Khosla without work, stability or anything resembling certainty. In 2019, American Cricket Enterprises, the strategic partner of USA Cricket, pledged a $1-billion investment to jumpstart a professional T20 league in the country. T20 is a condensed, fast-paced format of the game. Read more: L.A. names coveted five provisional sports it wants to add for 2028 Olympics Advertisement That vision materialized in 2023 with the debut of Major League Cricket, featuring six privately owned franchises each backed by global investors, including some of cricket's most iconic brands. ESPNcricinfo reported that the league will expand to eight teams in 2027, with sights set on 10 by 2031. The goal? Hook American to a flashier style of cricket that emphasizes quick scoring, frequent momentum swings and just enough chaos to attract fans who couldn't tell a wicket from a walk-off. 'MLC is exciting — that's why it is attracting so many players — top players from around the world,' Chand said. 'The way they have done this competition is also very nice, the way teams are being made, the way the domestic and international representation is there.' While MLC's launch was delayed to 2022 due to COVID-19, ACE had already been courting Chand as the kind of marquee talent who could lend legitimacy and hype to the U.S.'s cricketing scene. L.A. Knight Riders batsman Unmukt Chand collects the ball during a Major League Cricket match against the Mumbai Indians New York on July 3 at Central Broward Regional Park in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) He made his American debut in August 2021 with the Silicon Valley Strikers in Minor League Cricket, a developmental league aimed at growing the sport across the U.S. Advertisement 'We were his biggest fans,' said Natwar Agarwal, owner of the Strikers. 'We always heard about him, and it was like a dream come true — Unmukt Chand is here, and there's a possibility that he can play for our team.' You likely wouldn't have guessed that he'd just crossed nearly 8,000 miles or buried a dream that shaped his boyhood. Chand paced the league in runs per game, piling up 612 runs during 16 innings as he piloted his team to the inaugural Minor League Cricket title. 'Players like him, … showed that a good quality of cricket can happen in the U.S.,' Agarwal said. 'Still today, I get calls from players in India, Pakistan — they want to explore the opportunity where they can come here and play.' Read more: U.S. cricket team hopes to build on surprise run at T20 World Cup Advertisement Chand's championship summer opened doors around the world — including Australia and Bangladesh — but none felt quite like home until 2023, when he signed with Major League Cricket's Los Angeles Knight Riders, the American arm of one of cricket's most storied franchises. The organization, owned by Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, brought a built-in international fan base and marketing muscle rarely seen in American cricket. For Chand, it was the break he'd been denied back home: a team that backed him, and a league that let him prove he still belonged at the top. 'Playing for a franchise like Knight Riders is something very special, and being in L.A. makes it big,' Chand said. 'L.A. holds a very special place — it's been a sporting capital with obviously the Lakers, and us now being a part of the same sporting ecosystem.' Advertisement He joined the Knight Riders as a top-order batsman in a locker room stocked with international firepower and helmed by Dwayne Bravo, a West Indies legend in the T20 format. Chand made good on it. Unmukt Chand, of the L.A. Knight Riders, is working to earn a spot on the U.S. national cricket team. (Andrew Hancock/For The Times) 'He's been doing really well for us over the years — he was a really great addition to our Knight Riders team,' said Ali Khan, Chand's teammate and a member of the U.S. national team. 'Always helpful and engaged in the field, and off the field as well, he's always there and helping the team.' The Knight Riders languished at the bottom of the table in 2025, where they had the past two seasons. But Chand's 33.6 run average this year offered a rare glint in an otherwise dull stretch. Advertisement He produced an unbeaten 86 runs off 58 balls to lift his team to one of its two victories this season, prompting Bravo to publicly endorse his star batsman for the U.S. national team. 'This guy deserves to be involved in USA cricket team! Cricket is bigger than politics, let's do right for these players. Well done!' Bravo wrote on an Instagram story. And yet, for Chand, a U.S. call-up remains elusive. He was left out of the 2024 T20 World Cup roster and passed over for multiple tours abroad. While Chand's domestic performances have been solid, selectors have said he has yet to shift the selection calculus in a system that might prioritize younger prospects. Advertisement Read more: LA28 announces Dodger Stadium among new 2028 Olympic venues, lineup nearly complete 'With the USA World Cup not happening for him, it was a little disappointing for us. Not little — very, because this is what we moved here for,' Khosla said. 'But he was at it even when things were not working for him — focusing on the process, going back to the basics, working hard, practicing more.' Though the lack of selection still stings, it's not unfamiliar for Chand. Adversity gave him a mindset he still leans on. The U.S. snubs haven't shaken him — his focus, he says, remains to 'perform wherever I can, make the best use of my opportunities and hopefully those things will happen sooner than later.' Advertisement Khosla, who met Chand during what she called his 'most struggling phase,' said his drive never faded — even when things felt bleak. What kept him going? His love for the game. 'Cricket is his religion,' Khosla said. 'Cricket is something I would call his first wife. … If you take out his blood, his blood would be cricket.' Chand, 32, speaks ambitiously about the future of American cricket — and his desire to be at the center of its development. The signs are there, he said: the growth of Major League Cricket, the influx of youth academies, the construction of stadiums and the promise of the sport being featured during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Advertisement He came to the U.S. chasing a reimagined version of a childhood dream. He didn't need to rediscover the game — just needed a new place to keep feeding the fire. His journey is chronicled in a documentary that was recently selected for screening by the Dallas International Film Festival. 'U.S. is my new home, and I'm going to be here only,' Chand said. 'Playing for USA, playing MLC, playing other franchises around the world is the way to go forward. And cricket has definitely been on the rise. … I look forward to the next few years in USA. It's going to be exciting.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
RNZ News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Junior Tall Blacks fourth in the world, what happens next?
Junior Tall Blacks at Under-19 Basketball World Cup Photo: Supplied/FIBA The Junior Tall Blacks walked away from the Under-19 Basketball World Cup as the fourth best team in the world, and having made history, but their best could be yet to come. New Zealand entered the tournament ranked 22nd before going on a run that saw them beat Argentina, Mali, China and Switzerland. Losses to the USA and Slovenia ultimately saw them finish just outside the medals. Basketball New Zealand's general manager of high performance Paul Downes said the organisation "had quiet confidence in this group for a long time". Especially after getting a preview of what some of them could achieve at last year's under-17 world cup where New Zealand also finished fourth. "They are particularly talented but at the same time we've got real strength and depth coming through as well and it was actually such a robust selection process for the coaches to even get to this group of 12 there's easily another six to eight coming through that would have taken credible spots had they been selected for this group," Downes said. Having made the basketball world take notice in Switzerland Downes pointed out "we don't just want to be a flash in the pan". At youth level New Zealand is ranked second in the world for girls and boys 3x3 and Downes said that coupled with the two fourth place finishes in 5x5 would hopefully translate to more success in the future. "We feel that we'll fight for senior success but it's not going to happen by accident. We really feel that Brisbane [Olympics] 2032, we should really be qualifying and competing at a high level at 5x5 basketball. "Short term LA 2028 it would be fantastic to qualify at least one of our teams but really we're at the mercy of how we perform at the World Cup in 2027, should we qualify, and also then that possible Olympic qualification tournament. "So the rates and pace at which these young men are developing will probably just be reliant on how they're also going in their daily training environments at college, or if they turn professional earlier than 2027." Junior Tall Black Hayden Jones Photo: Supplied/FIBA Predicting what happens with a player over time is tricky. "Talent identification is that balance of art and science, and we try and map the trajectories as best we can, but six of the group that were in Switzerland have already been Tall Blacks. "So it's really important that with Judd Flavell as our head coach at the Tall Blacks that we're promoting athletes when it's responsible as well. So just because they can doesn't mean that they should but we do have that confidence from the NBL and these young men have been in that environment at least two seasons each, that when they do have that debut, they step in and they feel really comfortable and confident to thrive on and off the court." Downes said they were taking a "really patient" approach with this group's development. Acknowledging Basketball New Zealand's limited resources, Downes said the question was: "Where can we responsibly outsource?" "We don't have a professional league in this country, so to speak, but where we do accelerate our people is by getting 15, 16-year-olds into the Rapid League, in the Sals NBL, but come post high school, if we're really honest, and we put the person at the centre of the plan, then US college, for example, is the second highest paid league in the world, behind the NBA and responsibly if that's the right fit for the person, for the family, for them as an athlete, then if that's the best place for them to develop, then if we can't offer it as a nation, then why would we try and stop them." Downes said sustainable success was the aim. "We're really confident of what's coming through and who's coming through on and off the court, but it is a stretch for us as well. "In terms of as we grow our global reputation, we are getting more invitations for best versus best competition, but that puts a strain on us as well in terms of how much basketball load we're asking, how much travel we're asking and how much cost are we asking [from families]. "Just because we're getting the invitation doesn't mean that we need to take them, and they've got to fit within the strategy." Junior Tall Black Tama Isaac at the Under-19 Basketball World Cup. Photo: Supplied/FIBA Former Tall Black Dillion Boucher recently stepped away from the Basketball New Zealand chief executive role to return to the Breakers but he has had a close look at the talent that was on display in Switzerland. "A lot of those names I've been hearing for a long time so they've been top of their game for a long time and they take the game seriously. Most of them have had good coaching that has driven them to understand what it takes to be a top player. "[New Zealand players'] physical makeup is as good as any around the world, we don't probably have the height that some of the nations do, but our physical stature is very, very good and so that combined with the skill work that they've been doing is turning them into really good basketball players." Boucher said these players would now be on the radar of some people who could influence their future. "I know plenty of NBA scouts that were at that tournament and started to write names down on bits of paper and submitting it back to their team saying we need to keep an eye on these players. "There's scouts everywhere at these world tournaments and people put themselves on the map. Tama Isaac making the second all star five team, teams will start be looking at him going okay we're going to follow his journey and when he goes off to college they'll be following what he does. "And there's plenty of players like Hayden Jones and Julius Halaifonua that put their hand up at that tournament. Jackson Ball, these guys have put their hand up and showed their capability. "Lachlan Crate is another one who had a great tournament. Oscar Goodman, you know, these guys are putting their hand up to say that they're ready to go to the next level and I think people will notice that and then will keep an eye on them now. "Now there's an even a closer eye on their development and seeing do they get better from that tournament, how much do they improve. "Next time they see these players will probably be on the national team and then they'll judge them for their development and how much they've improved." Not every basketballer gets to a world cup at any level during their playing career and Boucher said the players would cherish the memories made. "These guys that they played against this tournament, a lot of these players will be playing in the NBA one day, and whether they make it or not, they'll remember those times that they played against those players, and they'll think back and look at their journey and see where they go from here, but what a cool experience to be playing some of the world's best players that will be in the NBA and will be top players for their national teams in the years to come." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Euro champs end Emus' World Cup medal dream
Australia's dream of ending a decades-long medal drought at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup is over after an 80-67 defeat to Germany in the quarter-finals. After a horror start, the Emus faced a 23-point deficit early in the third quarter at Switzerland's Lausanne Arena on Friday night. They rallied and cut the margin to four points in the final period before Germany steadied through star duo Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson. Luke Fennell (18 points) and Roman Siulepa (17) led the scoring for Australia, with Jacob Furphy (13, eight rebounds) also influential. Comeback falls short for the Emus 🇦🇺Our FIBA U19 World Cup campaign has come to an end in the 67 - 80 GER#WeAreBasketball | #GoEmus | #FIBAU19 | @nextgenhoops — Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) July 4, 2025 But their efforts weren't enough to steer the Emus to the semi-finals for the first time since an Andrew Bogut-led team won a historic gold medal in 2003. Steinbach (16 points, 16 rebounds) and Anderson (18, eight) led the way for Germany, who will take on Slovenia in the semi-finals. "In the second half, especially the third quarter, they came back with some big threes, but we found our rhythm again and finished the game," Steinbach said. "It's a pretty big thing that we were able to show the character when we have a run against us. "We stuck together and found a way to win." Germany have never won a medal at the Under-19 World Cup and have reached the semi-finals for the first time since 1987, when they finished fourth. "That's pretty amazing," NBA prospect Steinbach said. "This group here is pretty good and we can achieve even more." Slovenia, who were beaten 75-68 by Germany in the group stage, qualified for the last four with a dominant 79-55 win over Israel. In the other side of the draw, eight-time champions USA take on Canada and New Zealand face hosts Switzerland in their quarter-finals on Sunday morning (AEST).
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Australia's Emus advance with statement win over France
Australia have made a statement in their bid to end a decades-long medal drought at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup with a dominant 71-63 win over France. Jacob Furphy and Roman Siulepa scored 19 points each for the Emus, who committed 20 turnovers but were in control on the boards in Switzerland. The lop-sided rebound count (51-31) included 18 offensive rebounds for Australia, with Siulepa (four) leading the charge. Big birds. Big victory. AUS 71 - 63 FRA📊 #WeAreBasketball | #GoEmus | @NextGenHoops — Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) July 1, 2025 Robbie McKinlay's team led 19-15 at the end of the first period and extended the margin to 17 points early in the last on their way to a commanding victory. A second straight win meant the Emus (2-1) finished second in Group D - dubbed the "Group of Death'' on FIBA's website - behind tournament favourites USA. It followed a thrilling double-overtime victory over Cameroon (101-96) and a first-up loss to USA (88-73). The Emus next face a knockout clash with the Dominican Republic in the round of 16 on Thursday (3.30am AEST) as they chase a spot in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2015. Eight-time champions USA were one of three teams to finish the group stage undefeated after a blistering shooting display in their 129-70 thrashing of Cameroon. Mikel Brown and Caleb Holt each hit five of USA's 19 three-pointers, which equalled the previous mark set by China against Croatia in 2013. Germany and Israel were also unbeaten in the group stage, with the former now able to avoid meeting USA until the final. Australia are aiming to emulate the Andrew Bogut-led 2003 Emus outfit, which claimed Under-19 World Cup gold behind the future No.1 NBA draft pick's MVP performance. That team, coached by Rob Beveridge, remains the only one from outside North America and Europe to win the Under-19 World Cup since its inception in 1979. It is also the only Australian men's team to win gold at a global FIBA tournament.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dash Daniels gunning to match Bogut-inspired 2003 gold
Emerging star Dash Daniels has declared Australia are primed to end a decades-long medal drought as they seek to write their own history at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup. The Emus have not been on the podium since an Andrew Bogut-led line-up broke new ground in 2003 as the only Australian men's team to win gold at a global FIBA tournament. The current crop are eyeing their own glory but will have to overcome some significant early hurdles in Switzerland, starting with an opening match against eight-time champions USA early on Sunday morning (1.15am AEST). European heavyweights France and African wildcards Cameroon also feature in Group D - dubbed the 'Group of Death' on FIBA's website. While the tournament format dictates all 16 teams advance to the knockout rounds, the group stage can make or break a campaign. But Emus guard and NBA prospect Daniels - the younger brother of Atlanta Hawks star Dyson Daniels - holds no fears. "A medal is the least you can expect," 17-year-old Daniels told AAP. "Gold would be fantastic and we've got the team to do it. "We've just got to get out there and show the world." Daniels, who will feature as an NBL Next Star with Melbourne United next season, will line up alongside star forward Jacob Furphy for the Emus under head coach Robbie McKinlay. McKinlay's group are aiming to emulate Rob Beveridge's 2003 Emus outfit, which remains the only team from outside North America and Europe to win the FIBA Under-19 World Cup since its inception in 1979. Future NBA No.1 draft pick and champion Bogut was the MVP of that 2003 tournament, alongside fellow stars-in-the-making Damian Martin, Brad Newley, Matt Knight, Rhys Carter and Brad Robbins. The Emus have not reached the quarter-finals at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup since 2015.
