(April 8, 2024) Cricket has been more than just another sport in India. Most kids in the country have grown up watching legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, or more recently M.S. Dhoni play spectacular fours and sixes. They are not just awed by them but often inspired to be a cricketer themselves. And Monank Patel was no different. Since a young age, all he wanted to become was a cricketer. “There was no other plan,” said the cricketer, who has recently been named the captain of the USA cricket team in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
The right-handed batsman and proficient wicketkeeper based in New Jersey has been scouting the entire nation for the last year to ensure that he has some of the best talents in his team. “I am very confident of the USA team we have this time,” said the cricketer in a recent interview, adding, “With the ICC T20 World Cup looming, this series holds immense significance for our team. We have some new players coming into the squad, and these games will help us get the right combinations and prepare well for the World Cup.”
A cricket prodigy
Born in Anand, Gujarat into a prominent business family, Monank was fascinated with cricket from when he was just four. “Like most kids, I grew up with Tendulkar as my idol. I would copy his shots in front of the mirror and even have his poster in my room. He was God for me,” shared the 31-year-old cricketer, who soon made a place for himself in his school team. Realising his potential, it was his school coach, who pushed Monank to join a local cricket club. “I tried for the under 14 state team, and later even got a chance to represent my state in at the under-16 and under-18 levels,” shared the cricketer.
However, his destiny was somewhere else. At the age of 17, Monank moved to the United States of America and even received a green card in 2010. Being a part of the Gujarat team, the cricketer stayed back in India for a few years, however shifted to the States permanently in 2016, making New Jersey his new home. “It was a tough move initially, as I didn’t know what shape my career would take,” the cricketer said, “However, there are so many Indians living on this side of the country that I never felt away from home.
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Leading USA
Shortly after joining a local club, Monank quickly rose to become its captain. By August 2018, he earned a spot on the United States squad for the 2018–19 ICC World Twenty20 Americas Qualifier tournament held in Morrisville, North Carolina. Remarkably, he emerged as the top run-scorer in the event, amassing 208 runs across six matches. Following this success, he was selected for the United States squad in the 2018–19 Regional Super50 tournament in the West Indies in October of the same year. Making his List A debut against Combined Campuses and Colleges, Monank showcased his prowess by scoring the first century by an American batsman in the tournament during a match against Jamaica. By the end of the competition, he secured his position as the leading run-scorer for the United States, accumulating 290 runs in seven matches.
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In February 2019, he earned a spot in the United States Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for their series against the United Arab Emirates, marking the inaugural T20I fixtures for the United States cricket team. His T20I debut for the United States occurred on 15 March 2019 against the United Arab Emirates. “The USA team has a lot of potential to compete against teams at a higher level. We have been playing a decent level of cricket for the last three years and we have played against teams like Scotland and UAE. I feel we can compete against the better sides in the coming days,” said the Global Indian talking about his team.
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But that’s not it. The cricketer is also a mentor to several Indian American kids. “New Jersey has a big Indian diaspora living here, and so the kids are exposed to cricket from a young age. I coach many kids in this area. Interestingly, many American kids are now interested in playing the sport as well and come to my coaching classes,” said the cricketer.
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Currently busy preparing for the upcoming T20, Monank is very happy with several well-known Indian cricketers, including Unmukt Chand and Mannan Sharma, migrating to the USA. He believes that it will be up to the cricket board of the USA to see if they can don the national jersey in the coming years. “I am very excited about taking my team, and I think we have the potential to win matches this season. I hope we bring the cup home,” said the cricketer.
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