Photo Credit: Cricket Canada
Canada’s outstanding cricket all-rounder Nitish Kumar has been invited by the Leeward Islands Hurricanes to participate in the Franchise’s Training Camp in preparation for its involvement in the forthcoming 2021 Caribbean Regional Super50 Championships. The Leeward Islands Hurricanes will be one of six Caribbean territory franchises competing in the Cricket West Indies in the 2021 edition of the annual cricket West Indies fifty-over tournament. Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and the Windward Islands will be the other five competing franchises for the February 7-27, 2021 Tournament which will be played in Antigua.
Nitish Kumar is the only Canadian to have received an invitation from any of the competing Caribbean Regional 2021 Super50 franchises to participate in their scheduled Training Camps. His participation in the Leeward Islands Hurricane’s Antigua based Camp means that he will eligible for selection to the final 15 member of roster of players who will represent the franchise at the 2021 Championships.
As a right-handed batsman and right-arm off spinner, Canadian born Nitish Kumar created history in 2011 by making his One Day International debut and becoming the second youngest ever ODI player. His participation in the ICC 2011 World Cup also made him the then youngest player to ever feature in the Tournament. Kumar made his Canadian T20 International debut in 2012 and has since then become one of Canada’s leading batting all-rounders and a regular member of Canadian National cricket teams. Kumar’s October 2016 Canada National Men’s cricket team captaincy appointment, at the age of 22, made him one of the youngest ever to hold that position.
Nitish Kumar’s outstanding exploits as a Canadian cricketer have continued in recent years. In January 2018, Kumar was named as the captain of Canada’s squad for the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Two tournament. On 3 June 2018, he was selected to play for the Toronto Nationals in the players’ draft for the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada tournament. In September 2018, he was named as the captain of Canada’s squad for the 2018–19 ICC World Twenty20 Americas Qualifier tournament. He was the leading wicket-taker for Canada in the tournament, with eleven dismissals in six matches.
In October 2018, he was named in Canada’s squad for the 2018–19 Regional Super50 tournament in the West Indies. In April 2019, he was named in Canada’s squad for the 2019 ICC World Cricket League Division Two tournament in Namibia.
In June 2019, he was selected to play for the Brampton Wolves in the 2019 Global T20 Canada tournament. In August 2019, he was named in Canada’s squad for the Regional Finals of the 2018–19 ICC T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier tournament. In September 2019, he was named in Canada’s squad for the 2019 Malaysia Cricket World Cup Challenge League A tournament. In October 2019, he was named in Canada’s squad for the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament in the United Arab Emirates. He was the leading run-scorer for Canada in the tournament, with 245 runs in six matches. Following the T20 World Cup, he was named in Canada’s squad for the 2019–20 Regional Super50 tournament in the West Indies. He was again the leading run-scorer for Canada in the tournament, with 265 runs in eight matches.
