Hours after being listed as an uncapped Indian in the final list of players for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, Nikhil Chaudhary's country of residence turned into ‘Australia’ following a uproar in the media and among the fans. Despite playing most of his cricket in Australia, especially in the Big Bash League (BBL), Nikhil inclusion in the auction list confused many.
According to the BCCI rules, no Indian player can participate in foreign league until retired from Indian cricket. While Nikhil represents Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, the batting all-rounder represents Tasmania in the Australian domestic cricket. In fact, Nikhil's 163 off 184 balls against New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield match last month, made headiness.
Hours after being listed as an uncapped Indian in the final list of players for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, Nikhil Chaudhary's country of residence turned into ‘Australia’ following a uproar in the media and among the fans. Despite playing most of his cricket in Australia, especially in the Big Bash League (BBL), Nikhil inclusion in the auction list confused many.
According to the BCCI rules, no Indian player can participate in foreign league until retired from Indian cricket. While Nikhil represents Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, the batting all-rounder represents Tasmania in the Australian domestic cricket. In fact, Nikhil's 163 off 184 balls against New South Wales in a Sheffield Shield match last month, made headiness.
In an update version, the IPL governing council changed Nikhil's country of residence to Australia, which means Nikhil will turn up in IPL 2026 as an overseas cricketer, if any franchise bids for the 29-year-old.
Who is Nikhil Chaudhary? All you need to know
Born in Delhi, Nikhil migrated to Punjab when he was two with his parents and started playing cricket. He went through the age-group teams of Punjab before making his debut for the senior side in List A cricket at the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2017.
However, after being stranded in Australia while visiting a relative during COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 proved to be a turning point in his life. During his time in Australia, Nikhil started playing club cricket and gained notice for his performance.
Besides playing cricket, Nikhil started working part-time at a Mexican restaurant before being terminated following a cut on his index finger. He then joined Australia Post as a courier for a couple of years beside working hard for his cricketing dream.
However, it was a semifinal match of the Queensland's T20 Max tournament that changed Nikhil's career. Playing for Northern Suburbs, Nikhil smashed 71 off 28 balls, which included seven sixes against Gold Coast, who had the likes of then Michael Neser and Mitchell Owen.
The performance led to Nikhil's inclusion in the BBL as he was signed by Hobart Hurricanes for the 2023-24 BBL.
Did Nikhil retire from Indian cricket?
According to Nikhil's childhood coach Charanjit Banghu, Nikhil had obtained a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the BCCI before joining BBL. Although it is not specified whether he retired from Indian cricket, Nikhil seems to have obtained Australian citizenship.
“He had obtained a NOC from the BCCI,” Banghu told Livemint on Tuesday. When asked whether Nikhil has been granted an Australian citizenship, Banghu responded, "It might be in process or maybe he has been granted that. The last time I spoke to him was after he hit 160-plus runs for Tasmania.
"I called him today, but he is yet to respond. Maybe I will get a call from him tomorrow morning to get a clarity," Banghu further added. Nikhil has been listed as an all-rounder in set n.o35 at a base price at ₹40 lakh.
before moving to Australia, Nikhil had made his T20 for Punjab too. In BBL, Nikhil played 20 matches so far, scoring 386 runs and took nine wickets so far in his career.