You can take the Indian out of India but not cricket out of the Indian. The case in point is Indo-American Rahul Jariwala and Vatsal who are now officially part of the US cricket team.
Wicketkeeper Rahul Jariwala (17) and left-arm spinner Vatsal Vaghela (19) will don the US star-spangled logo in the Whiteball Cricket Series against Ireland in California. While Rahul will play only the ODIs, Vatsal will be part of both the T20 and ODI teams.
The duo from Eastern Bay, Northern California, have represented the US in U-19 tournaments. In the recently-concluded 50-Overs US National Championships at Texas, the two, distinguished themselves as players to watch out for.
Rahul impressed with two centuries and Vatsal’s haul of seven wickets made him the fastest wicket-taker in the national championship. His feat also landed him as the top wicket-taker of the season.
Interestingly, Vatsal’s sister Ishani, has been part of the US senior cricket team at the American Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier held in Mexico.
This makes the siblings the first Indian-Americans to play professional cricket for the US.
