Excited about leading USA against India in WC 2026: Monank Patel

When Team USA takes on defending champions India on February 7 in the T20 World Cup, Monank Patel will be leading the side against his country of birth. Monank, who was born in Anand, had a green card and moved to the US in 2016.

The USA skipper (he was appointed captain in 2021) tells us, “I am very excited because we will be playing against the defending champions at an iconic venue (Wankhede Stadium). It’s a big opportunity for us to showcase our talent on the global stage and we have prepared well.”He adds, “We have been playing together as a group for a while and so, we are confident about doing well. We will have a preparatory camp in Sri Lanka and after that, we will travel to India.

Personally, playing in Major League Cricket (MLC, a T20 cricket league in the US) has helped me improve a lot. I am grateful to Mark Boucher (former South African player and a coach now), who has helped me improve my batting skills.”‘Grateful to Gujarat for shaping my journey’The wicketkeeper-batter, who played in Gujarat for 12 years before moving to the US, shares, “I have played for Gujarat at the under-15, under-17, and under-19 levels.

In fact, I have played with Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel at the under-19 level. I learned the basics of the sport in Gujarat and so, I will always be grateful to the state for shaping my journey. My father, who was a wicketkeeper-batter too, was my first coach.

He taught me everything from scratch, and many coaches in Gujarat have helped me improve my game.”He adds, “Right since junior days, I have enjoyed leadership roles.

It has been an honour to lead Team USA. After I took over as captain, we had different coaches initially, and it was challenging to adapt. As a captain, it’s important to know your teammates well and share a good rapport with them off the field too. It makes things easier. Beating Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 remains one of my best moments as the captain of the USA.

It gave us a lot of confidence. Beating Bangladesh in a series was also a big milestone for us.”‘Cricket infrastructure in the US is far better now’Monank, who debuted for the USA in 2019, says, “Cricket infrastructure and opportunities here are way better now. Earlier, we did not have enough local tournaments but now, we have six to seven high-quality tournaments every year, where international players also take part. We also have three or four very good stadiums and players get good salaries.”He adds, “With cricket being a part of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, I think cricket will gain a lot of new fans because Americans keenly follow the Olympics.

It’s great news for the development of cricket here.”‘Ran a restaurant, worked at a gas station’After shifting to the US, it took a while for Monank to become eligible to represent the national team. He shares, “It took me about three-and-a-half years before I became eligible to play for the USA. While I was playing domestic games, you can’t survive just by playing cricket on weekends. I always wanted to open a business but before that, I wanted to gain relevant experience.

My uncle had a liquor store and a gas station, and I worked there.

”He adds, “Later, I opened a restaurant with a family member and ran it for 15 months. When my mom had to move to the US for cancer treatment, we had to move to New Jersey. I attended the trials and scored a hundred, after which I was selected to play for the national team. Since the wickets and grounds in the US were very different then as compared to India, especially the outfield, it took me a few months to adjust and adapt my game accordingly.

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