Nikhil Chaudhary

International career

Nikhil Chaudhary, born on 4 May 1996, is an Indian-Australian cricketer. He currently plays for the Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League (BBL). Nikhil is the second India-born cricketer to play in the BBL, after Unmukt Chand.

Although he has not played at the international level yet, Nikhil aims to represent Australia in international cricket. He also dreams of playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Leagues Participation

Nikhil Chaudhary has played in the Big Bash League (BBL), where he is building his cricket career. His strong performances in domestic cricket helped him secure a spot with the Hobart Hurricanes.

Big Bash League

Chaudhary joined the Hobart Hurricanes after playing for the Northern Suburbs District Cricket Club for two years. During that time, his coach was James Hopes, a former Australian cricketer who now works as the assistant coach for the Hobart Hurricanes. After noticing Chaudhary’s skills, Hopes recommended him to the team’s management, leading to his contract in September 2023.

In the 2023-24 season, Nikhil played nine matches, scoring 154 runs at an average of 25.67, including one half-century (55 runs). He also bowled 19 overs and took five wickets. His efforts were important for the team. Chaudhary talked about his debut, saying, “I did well in my first match. The team was in trouble at 40 for 5, and I scored 40 runs from 30 balls to help us recover”. Although he is happy with his performances, he believes he can do even better.

In February 2024, the Hobart Hurricanes extended his contract until the 2026-27 season. Head coach Jeff Vaughan praised Chaudhary, saying, “Nikhil was one of our best performers during BBL|13. Watching him grow as a player has been great for our team and fans.” Chaudhary now aims to play state cricket in Australia. He is focused on improving his game and earning recognition in both Australia and around the world.

As of January 2025, Chaudhary is still playing for the Hobart Hurricanes. In a game on January 5, 2025, he scored 22 runs off 22 balls to help the team beat the Adelaide Strikers.

Year	Team	Notes
2023-24	Hobart Hurricanes	Played 9 games, scored 154 runs (average 25.67), 5 wickets
2024-25	Hobart Hurricanes	Scored 22 runs off 22 balls in win over Adelaide Strikers
2024-27	Hobart Hurricanes	Contract extended until 2026-27 season

Domestic career

Nikhil Chaudhary was born in Delhi, India, and moved to Punjab when he was young. He first wanted to be a fast bowler, but later switched to offspin and eventually legspin. Along with his bowling, he became an aggressive batsman. By 2017, Chaudhary had become a batting all-rounder in Indian domestic cricket.

He played his first Twenty20 match for Punjab in the 2016-17 Inter-State Twenty-20 Tournament. Despite training with famous cricketers like Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, Chaudhary didn’t make it to the IPL, with unsuccessful trials at Mumbai Indians.

His career took a new direction when he was stuck in Brisbane during the COVID-19 pandemic. While there, he played club cricket and impressed many with his performances, especially in a semi-final where he hit seven sixes. This led to a chance in the Big Bash League (BBL), after a recommendation from a local coach. During this time, he worked at a Mexican restaurant and later as a postman for Australia Post.

Before coming to Australia, Chaudhary played for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy, India’s top first-class competition. He trained with Harbhajan Singh and played alongside Yuvraj Singh and Shubman Gill. In March 2020, Chaudhary traveled to Australia for a holiday but got stuck due to the pandemic. With no flights back, he decided to stay and joined the Northern Suburbs District Cricket Club. His strong performances there led to a spot in the BBL.

Chaudhary faced many challenges. Leaving his career in India meant managing everything on his own, from cooking to paying rent. He worked at a Mexican restaurant, but after injuring his finger, he took a job as a postman, delivering 200-250 parcels a day. Despite the tough job, he kept training in cricket and going to the gym.

Records and achievements

Nikhil Chaudhary is the second cricketer of Indian origin to play in the Big Bash League (BBL). He has shown his skills both as a batsman and a bowler in his career.

• 2023-2024 Big Bash League (BBL) season with Hobart Hurricanes:
  • Scored 154 runs in 6 matches
  • Batting average: 25.66
  • Strike rate: 142.59
  • One half-century
    
    
• Career in 18 T20 matches:
  • 233 runs
  • Strike rate: 140.36
  • Took 11 wickets
  • Bowling average: 26

Personal life

Nikhil Chaudhary is a private person when it comes to his personal life, but a few details are known.

Family

Nikhil Chaudhary is not married. His father, Saneh Kumar Chaudhary, works as a businessman. He has two sisters, Pooja and Aarti Deepak Anand. Aarti is a nutritionist.

Finances

By 2025, Nikhil Chaudhary’s estimated net worth is about 1 million US dollars. His earnings come from playing in the Big Bash League, sponsorship deals, and cricket events.

House

In 2024, Nikhil lives in Queensland, Australia.

Scandals

In March 2024, Chaudhary went to trial in the District Court of Queensland for a charge related to an incident in 2021. He was found not guilty. The Hobart Hurricanes did not know about the charges before the trial.

Fans

Nikhil Chaudhary has 34k followers on Instagram. He shares updates about his career and life with his followers.