Eight cricketers from other countries who played for Indian teams earlier

There have been many instances when players originating from India went on to play for other countries. Monty Panesar, the star spinner from England who went down as one of the renowned spinners, would be the prime example of it. 

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There have also been instances where players started their careers with Indian teams and ended up representing other countries. The likes of Munis Ansari, Swapnil Patil, Jeet Raval and a few more went to represent other international teams after making a mark in Indian domestic clubs. 

Let’s take a look at players who represented other countries after making a mark in Indian domestic:

1) Jeet Raval:

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Jeet Raval (Image Source: Twitter)

Jeet Raval is one of the star cricketers for New Zealand and not many would know that he started his career in India. For the unversed, the southpaw played for the Gujarat team at U-15 and U-17 levels. He is also a great fan of former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly and a great friend of former Indian wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel. 

During an interview with DNA, Raval spoke about India and his roots in the country. “You know I represented Gujarat at the Under-15 and Under-17 levels. I remember playing with Rahane, who is from Mumbai, and Jadeja, who is from Saurashtra. I also played with Ishant Sharma, Piyush Chawla. Parthiv Patel is a good friend. He inspired me to work hard,” Raval said to DNA. 

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2) Gul Mohammad:

Gul Mohammad (Image Source: Twitter)

Gul Mohammad represented Northern India in 1938 in the Ranji  Trophy. The cricketer is one of the very few to have represented India and also Pakistan in Tests. With regard to his international career, Mohammad represented the Indian side in eight Tests and also Pakistan in one Test. 

After representing Pakistan in 1956, Mohammad was assigned various tasks to undertake in the Pakistan Cricket Board. After making his debut for India in 1946, the attacking player took Pakistan citizenship in 1955.

3) Amir Elahi:

Amir Elahi (Image Source: Twitter)

Amir Elahi is yet another cricketer who represented India and Pakistan in Test cricket. After going down to represent India against Australia in 1947, Elahi represented Pakistan in five Tests in 1952-53. Much to the dreariness of Indian team management, he played all those against India. 

However, his domestic records in India are pretty strong and he had a fabulous outing with Baroda in the Ranji Trophy. The leg-break bowler racked up 193 wickets at an average of 24.72 and also helped his team win the trophy in the year 1946-47. 

4) Krishna Chandran:

Krishna Chandran (Image Source: Twitter)

Krishna Chandran represented Kerala in List-A cricket in Indian domestics and then went on to play for UAE in international cricket. Having represented Mahaveer Jain College from Bangalore, Chandran went on to represent Kerala at U-19 and U-25 levels. 

With regard to his international records, Chandran racked up 7 wickets and 134 runs in 12 ODIs. The UAE star is a medium pacer and middle-order batter and moved from India in the year 2010. 

5) Shakti Gauchan:

Shakti Gauchan (Image Source: Twitter)

Getting trained in Mumbai, Gauchan went on to represent Nepal in international cricket. In addition to it, Gauchan also represented Mumbai at U-15 and U-17 levels. He is the second Nepalese player to bag a century to his name.

This record came when he scored a mammoth 106 against Italy in the 2005 World Cup qualifiers. For the unversed, Gauchan also participated in the 2002 U-19 World Cup in New Zealand and also played in the 2002 ACC Trophy held in Singapore. 

6) Swapnil Patil:

Swapnil Patil (Image Source: Twitter)

Swapnil Patil represented Oman in international cricket but had his foundation in India. Coming from Mumbai, the wicketkeeper batter represented Mumbai at U-19 and U-22 levels before moving on to the United Arab Emirates for work. 

After banking on every opportunity that he got in the country, Patil made a stunning debut for UAE. The wicketkeeper batter represented the team in 13 ODIs and 18 T20Is averaging at around 25 and 14 respectively. 

7) Munis Ansari:

Munis Ansari (Image Source: Twitter)

Munis Ansari, known as the replica of Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga, was called up as India’s net session during the Sri Lanka series in 2005. Greg Chappell, who witnessed his potential, was highly impressed with his passion for the game. 

However, after fading away from the picture, Ansari represented Oman in T20Is. The star made his debut for the country against Afghanistan in the year 2015 and also took part in the 2016 20-20 World Cup. 

8) Abdul Hafeez Kardar:

Abdul Hafeez Kardar (Image Source: Twitter)

Abdul Hafeez Kardar belongs to the list of Gul Mohammad and Amir Elahi as he represented India and also Pakistan. The dazzling player represented India in the 1948 England tour before making his way to Pakistan. 

However, he outshined in Pakistan and grew in stature to such a level that players started considering him to be the father figure of the sport. The classy player represented Pakistan in 23 Tests and also led the team in addition to it.