India is such a huge cricketing nation that many players have also represented other countries. Of course, this has happened under varying circumstances. Usually, it is for New Zealand and West Indies that many Indian-origin cricketers have played for. Interestingly, there have been a few Indian-origin players who have turned up for Australia. In this article, we take a look at eight Indian origin cricketers who represented Australia at the International level.
1. Bransby Cooper
International Debut Year: 1877 || Test: 1
Bransby Cooper was born in 1844 in Dhaka. Although the city is now located in Bangladesh, when Bransby was born, it was under India. Hence, he is one of the Indian origin cricketers who represented Australia at the International level.
Although he played a lot in England, it was for Australia that he played international cricket. However, it was for a short term, which lasted for just one encounter. Cooper scored 18 runs in that game.
2. Rex Sellers
International Debut Year: 1964 || Test: 1
Rex Sellers was born in Valsad, which is located in Gujarat. A tall leg-spinner, he played a sole Test match for the Aussies. In fact, his only test match occurred on Indian soil at Calcutta.
Sellers never made another appearance for Australia. In the only encounter that he played, he bowled 30 deliveries and could not pick a wicket.
3. Stuart Clark
International Debut Year: 2005 || Test: 24 || ODI: 39 || T20I: 9
Stuart Clark is also one of the Indian origin cricketers who represented Australia at the International level. Stuart is the son of Anglo-Indian parents. While his father is from Chennai, Clark’s mother is from KGF.
As Glenn McGrath was at the end of his career, there were concerns regarding his replacement. Stuart Clark filled the legend’s role to perfection in the initial years. In his debut Test series itself, he won the Player of the Tournament. However, as the years progressed, Clark lost control over his bowling. He ended his career with 160 international wickets across formats.
4. Lisa Sthalekar
International Debut Year: 2001 || Test: 8 || ODI: 125 || T20I: 54
A Pune-born player, Lisa Sthalekar represented Australia in international cricket. She happens to be one of the best all-rounders in Australia’s women’s cricket history. She also won the Women’s International Cricketer of the Year for Australia in 2007.
An all-rounder, Lisa also has a Test hundred in her account. She is currently popular as she serves as a commentator in many tournaments, including in the Indian Premier League.
5. Gurinder Sandhu
International Debut Year: 2015 || ODI: 2
Gurinder Sandhu’s parents moved from Punjab to Sydney in the 1980s. He made his ODI debut in 2015, thus becoming the first-ever Indian-origin cricketer to play for Australia in the ODI format. However, so far, the tall pacer has only played two games for the country.
It was his fine performances at the domestic level that got Sandhu a chance to play for Australia. He was at the top of his game for New South Wales in the domestic competitions. Sandhu has also been part of IPL, representing the Delhi Daredevils (Delhi Capitals).
6. Tanveer Sangha
Represented Australia at U19 Level
Tanveer Sangha is an upcoming leg-spinner in Australia. His father, belonging to Punjab, had moved to Australia for education. The family now stays in Sydney.
The leggie was Australia’s leading wicket-taker at the 2020 U19 World Cup. Since then, he has done well in BBL, which got him a chance in the senior T20I squad for the series against New Zealand in 2021.
7. Jason Sangha
Represented Australia at U19 Level
Jason Sangha is a batsman, who can also offer his services as a leg-break bowler. He was the captain of Australia’s squad for the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. In fact, he was the team’s highest run-scorer in that series.
Jason has played for Sydney Thunder in BBL, while New South Wales is his team in other competitions. 21 years old, he has a bright future ahead of him.
8. Arjun Nair
Represented Australia at U19 Level
Arjun Nair is another Indian-origin cricketer who has represented Australia. He is popular for his performances in Big Bash, a competition that he has been part of since 2016.
Although he is an all-rounder, it is for his off-spin that Nair gets mostly noticed for. He has also played four FC games so far. He represents New South Wales in domestic competitions.
