USA names 15-man squad for the T20Is against Canada; Corey Anderson & Harmeet Singh in, Unmukt Chand left out

The United States of America (USA) has announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against Canada, which starts on Saturday, April 6. All five games are scheduled to be played at the Prairie View Cricket Complex in Houston.

The 30-year-old wicketkeeper batter, Monank Patel will be leading the side with Aaron Jones being his deputy. Monank was a part of the victorious MI New York franchise during the inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket (MLC) last year.

While there have been some notable inclusions in the squad, there are also some significant absentees. Former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson has made the cut alongside the 2012 ICC Under 19 World Cup winner Harmeet Singh.

Another major inclusion is former Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals batter Milind Kumar, who represented the Texas Super Kings in the 2023 Major League Cricket.

Unfortunately, the 2012 Under 19 World Cup-winning captain Unmukt Chand has been left out of the squad announced by the USA Cricket board. Meanwhile, former Canada skipper Nitish Kumar, who represented his nation at the 2011 World Cup, will be returning to international cricket. But, he will be up against his former side featuring for the USA.

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"With the ICC T20 World Cup looming, this series holds immense significance for our team" - Monank Patel

The upcoming 2024 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, which is set to be played in June this year, will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America. It is a prestigious moment for the USA as it will be the first-ever instance of the ICC World Cup matches being played in the country.

Speaking about the five-match series against Canada, captain Monank Patel highlighted the significance of the series ahead of the T20 World Cup at home.

"With the ICC T20 World Cup looming, this series holds immense significance for our team," Monank said. "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."

USA 15-member squad for the five-match T20I series against Canada:

Monank Patel (captain), Aaron Jones (vc), Andries Gous, Corey Anderson, Gajanand Singh, Harmeet Singh, Jessy Singh, Milind Kumar, Nisarg Patel, Nitish Kumar, Nosthush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Steven Taylor, Usman Rafiq.

Reserve players – Juanoy Drysdale, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Shayan Jahangir.