Ahead of the India match, players of Indian descent in the USA talk about feeling conflicted 

The USA plays India in a professional game for the first time on June 12, 2024, and it should be a historic event full of emotions and nostalgia. Few players on the American side, in especially, will remember this historic match for years to come. For the USA roster for the T20 World Cup 2024, to say that there are “few” would be an understatement—seven players were either born in India or spent a significant amount of their formative years there.

Indian cricketer Monank Patel, who was born in Gujarat and captained the USA, recalled the bizarre experience of standing next to Team India captain Rohit Sharma during the toss. Patel had played both age-group and club cricket in India. He stated his goals to play a fierce and unique style of cricket and to consistently perform at that calibre of play against every side.

“While having a dream of this nature, you unexpectedly see yourself with Rohit Sharma during the toss. That’s not real. The game will be really stressful. We really don’t want to concentrate on this too much at this time. We wish to play cricket in its authentic form. During the pre-game press conference, Monank stated, “We want to play against every team.”

Six years Rohit’s junior on the Rajasthan Royals team in 2013, left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh spoke on his fondness for the man after they both went to the same school. Looking back, Harmeet remembered how Rohit had inspired him in cricket during those formative years. Alongside famous players like Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav, he talked about his time playing cricket for the U-19 team.

“As a child, I used to admire Rohit Sharma. My school is where Rohit is from. I played Under-19 in India with Sanju Samson and Kuldeep Yadav. I’ve played with Axar Patel before. Thus, it will be enjoyable to play against and catch up with them,” Harmeet said.

Noshtush Kenjige, another left-arm spinner, conveyed his hopes and goals of donning the Indian jersey and playing for the national cricket team while he was in India. Kenjige’s stats of 3/30 against Pakistan drew extensive appreciation. Still, he admitted that playing against India will provide him with the most rewarding opportunity after moving to the United States. He expressed his excitement for the upcoming encounter and his desire to take advantage of that opportunity whenever it presents itself.

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“When life occurs to you and you grow up, you just move to a different country, but I really wanted to wear the Indian jersey when I was in India. Playing against India is currently your greatest option. Hence, ten times out of ten, I would accept this. As a child growing up, you aspire to be in the World Cup, and I believe that’s a huge chance. I’m excited about it, so definitely,” Kenjige said.