USA Cricket announced their T20i and ODI squads for their landmark series against Ireland in Florida later this month.
Following a recent trend begun by their women’s setup of selecting younger players into their senior teams, teenagers Vatsal Vaghela (19) and Rahul Jariwala (17) have been called up to the Men’s teams for the first time in their budding careers. The two follow Sanjay Krishnamurthi, who was selected for September’s ICC World Cup League Two trip to Oman, as players under the age of 20 who have been selected into a Men’s team in 2021.
Jariwala, a former USA U19 wicketkeeper selected to the ODI side, led all batsmen in runs in November’s Men’s National Championships, and was an opening batsman for the Silicon Valley Strikers, Minor League Cricket’s first championship team. Jariwala’s ups and downs have been well documented over the past year. Men’s selection is a poetic end to 2021 for a young cricketer who just months ago failed to crack the U19 selection camp after a rough U19 National Championships. “It’s been quite a roller coaster, a lot of highs but also some lows,” Jariwala told Emerging Cricket in a recent interview available on YouTube. “Just finding ways to come back from the lows made the highs more enjoyable, and I think that’s what got me to where I am today.”
Vaghela, whose younger sister Isani debuted for the USA Women’s team this year, was selected for both T20i and ODI teams. The highest rated bowler in Minor League Cricket this year, Vaghela led his MiLC team, the Golden State Grizzlies, all the way to the Pacific Conference Finals, where they fell to Jariwala’s Silicon Valley Strikers. Baffling batsmen often through the air, Vaghela was a key member of the West Zone Reds, who won the Men’s National Championship in the fifty over format.
Possibly the most consistent left arm orthodox bowler in the USA since July, Vaghela has transformed himself from former USA U19 opening batsman to a rising star with the ball. “I think keeping things simple and not looking too far ahead into the future really helped me stay focused and consistent,” Vaghela told Emerging Cricket. “Also, just focusing on one ball at a time and not chasing after results, but rather working on things I could control and letting the results follow.”
Joining the two youngsters as selection debutants is 33 year old Marty Kain of San Diego. After a Minor League season which saw Marty stand out on his Surf Riders team where he ranked in the top 6% of league performers, Marty led the Men’s National Championships in wickets and finished amongst the leading scorers while opening for the West Zone Blues. A left handed bat and left arm orthodox bowler, Marty has made a name for himself as a true all-rounder in domestic competitions and also as a coach in Southern California. Marty brings years of professional experience, thanks to time in the Central Districts setup in his birth country of New Zealand.
All three debutants featured in Minor League Cricket’s Teams of the Tournament for 2021.
Monank Patel, who debuted as the T20 captain in the ICC Americas T20 World Cup Qualifiers in November, has replaced Saurabh Netravalkar as the ODI captain. The change gives the two men’s teams the same on-field leadership in both formats, with Aaron Jones as the vice captain.
A total of 17 unique players and one reserve were named between the two 14-man squads, as Karima Gore, Rusty Theron and Kain will feature exclusively on the T20i team, and Nosthush Kenjige, Rahul Jariwala and Sushant Modani will feature in the ODI team only. Notable exclusions are veteran stalwart Elmore Hutchinson, left arm orthodox Trinson Carmichael, and U19 star Sanjay Krishnamurthi, as well as the standout player of the ICC Americas T20 World Cup, Ian Holland, who is currently in his home country of Australia for their summer domestic season.
Ali Khan is set to return to the ODI squad, after making his long-anticipated USA Cricket return in Antigua for the T20 qualifiers. Khan was an integral part of the team which climbed from ICC World Cricket League Division Four in 2016 all the way to ODI status in 2019. Also key to that squad was left arm orthodox bowler, Noshtush Kenjige, who keeps his place in the ODI squad even with the addition of Vaghela, thanks to 15 wickets and a 4.38 economy across 11 ODI innings.
Tickets remain available online, or they can be purchased at the stadium box office on game days.
USA T20 International Series Squad (December 22nd – 23rd)
Monank Patel (Captain)
Aaron Jones (Vice-captain)
Ali Khan
Gajanand Singh
Jasdeep Singh
Jaskaran Malhotra
Karima Gore
Marty Kain
Nisarg Patel
Rusty Theron
Saurabh Netravalkar
Steven Taylor
Vatsal Vaghela
Xavier Marshall
Reserve: Kyle Phillip
USA One Day International Series Squad (December 26th – 30th)
Monank Patel (Captain)
Aaron Jones (Vice-captain)
Ali Khan
Gajanand Singh
Jasdeep Singh
Jaskaran Malhotra
Nisarg Patel
Nosthush Kenjige
Rahul Jariwala
Saurabh Netravalkar
Steven Taylor
Sushant Modani
Vatsal Vaghela
Xavier Marshall
Reserve: Kyle Phillip
(Italics denote one format player)
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