Chetan Sakariya and Mukesh Choudhary, IPL’s rising young left-arm pacers will headline the overseas presence at the KFC T20 Max series in Queensland next month. The pace duo will also train at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

They will also be involved in Queensland Bulls’ pre-season preparations, as part of the old exchange programme with the Chennai-based MRF Pace Foundation, which had been paused because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chetan Sakariya, 24, made a name for himself during IPL 2021, playing for Rajasthan Royals, and has turned out in an ODI and two T20Is so far in the Sri Lankan tour while also playing for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2022. Chetan Sakariya has played 1 ODI and 2 T20I in the 2021 Sri Lankan tour picking 3 scalps overall besides picking 17 scalps in as many IPL games in 2021 and 2022.

Chetan Sakariya And Mukesh Choudhary Will Be Overseas Cricketers At The KFC T20 Max Series In Queensland

Sandgate-Redcliffe has all the three PNG players – regulars with their national side, which finished third at the recent World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe – in their ranks.

Norman Vanua and Chad Soper are medium pacers, while Charles Amini is a leg-spinning allrounder. There will also be a strong list of current or recent Big Bash League- BBL players, some of them internationals, in the mix too.

In a note on its website, Queensland Cricket said, “Due to the popularity of the concept and a surge in the number of players expressing interest, Queensland Cricket today updated the competition rules to allow each Premier club to sign an additional interstate or international recruit, moving from three players per club to four.”

“Several regionally based players have already brokered arrangements with teams, while contracted Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat players will be available for selection as part of their pre-season preparations.”

The aforementioned KFC T20 Max tournament will be played over three weeks, from August 18 to September 4, at the club grounds as well as at the refurbished Allan Border Field, under lights. Exchanges between the MRF Pace Foundation, founded in 1987, and Australia began in 1992 when the academy opened its doors to players from beyond India’s shores.

Glenn McGrath Was The First To Come And Train Under Dennis Lillee, The Ex-Director At MRF

Among the first to come and train under Dennis Lillee, then the director at MRF was Glenn McGrath, who later took up the directorship once Dennis Lillee retired after a 25-year stint in 2012. Fast bowlers from many other countries, including Mohammad Asif (Pakistan), Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka), Heath Streak (Sri Lanka), and premier quicks from Australia like Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson, who have all trained at the academy over the years.

Similarly, young Indian quicks have been given the opportunity to spend time in Australia’s Brisbane as part of the programme. The last of these, in 2019, was lanky pacer Prasidh Krishna, who has since then played ten ODIs for India, and Mukhtar Hussain, the 23-year-old right-arm quick from Assam.

Among the recruits for the KFC T20 Max competition announced to date are current or recent BBL contracted players such as Jordan Silk, Nick Bertus (Sydney Sixers), Beau Webster, Nick Larkin, Clint Hinchliffe (Melbourne Stars), Cameron Boyce, Josh Lalor (Melbourne Renegades), Ben Cutting, Arjun Nair (Sydney Thunder), Liam Guthrie, Jake Lehmann, Nathan McSweeney (Brisbane Heat), Nick Hobson, Chris Sabburg (Perth Scorchers), Ryan Gibson and Spencer Johnson (Adelaide Strikers).