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Who is Nosthush Kenjige? What to know of Auburn-born player who helped USA cricket beat Pakistan

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Who is Nosthush Kenjige? What to know of Auburn-born player who helped USA cricket beat Pakistan

The state of Alabama contributed to one of the biggest upsets in international cricket history on Thursday following a strong performance by Nosthush Kenjige.

The U.S. National Team — playing in its first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup — achieved a historic victory, defeating powerhouse Pakistan in a super over at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. The U.S. owes a significant part of this triumph to Kenjige, who was born in Auburn.

Kenjige, one of the few U.S.-born players on the roster, took three wickets and allowed 30 runs during his four-over spell, a performance that will go down in cricket history. 

REQUIRED READING: US cricket stuns Pakistan in a thrilling ‘super over’ match, nabs second tournament victory

The U.S. National Team plays another powerhouse, India, at 9:30 a.m. CT Wednesday at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in East Meadow, New York, with a chance to take control of Group A ICC Men’s T20 World Cup standings with both teams entering at 2-0. The top two teams from the four groups advance to the Super Eight stage. The U.S. needs just one more win in two matches (India and Ireland) to advance.

Here’s what you need to know about Kenjige, including where he was born, his path to USA cricket and more:

Where was Nosthush Kenjige born?

Kenjige, a standout player on the Team USA roster, has a unique background. Born on March 2, 1991, in Auburn, his father was an agricultural researcher at Tuskegee University. The family moved back to India when he was less than a year old. With a degree in biotechnology from Dayanand Sagar College of Engineering, Kenjige returned to the United States in 2015, initially settling in Virginia before moving to New York, where he worked as a biological technician.

Nosthush Kenjige’s path to USA National Cricket Team

Despite focusing on his career and having a full-time job, playing amateur cricket reignited his love for the sport. Upon his return to the U.S., Kenjige originally played squash but then started playing in local New York leagues, according to his U.S. team roster bio.

“It was a phase I was merely floating around without much aim. But a year so later, I joined Columbia Cricket Club in New York, and that sort of reignited my desire to pursue cricket,” Kenjige said to the India Times.

In 2016, Kenjige applied for and was selected to participate in the USA Combine held at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. He made the initial 30-man roster but missed the full cut for the roster in September. However, on the radar now, he made the final list of 14 names to go to Uganda after an impressive showing at a camp in Houston in late 2016. According to Cricket.com, Kenjige was even fired from a full-time job as he opted to tour with U.S. cricket in Uganda. Since his debut with the U.S. in 2019, he has appeared in 40 ODIs (one-day international) and six T20Is matches.

Nosthush Kenjige’s role in T20 World Cup upset over Pakistan

Kenjige made his T20I debut for the USA on April 7, 2024, against Canada. Kenjige did not play in the U.S.’s match but was back in the fold against Pakistan and recorded his career-high of three wickets in a match. Before his breakout performance against one of the powerhouses in international cricket, he had taken just four wickets in his T20 international career.

Entering the World Cup, Pakistan was ranked as the No. 6 team internationally, while the U.S. came in at No. 18. Kenjige, a left-handed spin baller, retired as the No. 3 hitter for Pakistan Usman Khan in the third over on a catch made by Nitish Kumar, on the third ball of his first over.

In the 13th over, Kenjige got Pakistan power hitter Shadab Khan out on another catch made by Saurabh Netravalkar. On the next ball, he got Azam Khan out on an LBW (leg before wicket) where the ball hit the batter’s pads, avoided the bat, and would have hit the wicket if not for the player standing in the way.

While Kenjige bowls as a spinner with his left hand, he is listed as a right-handed batter. Kenjige made his international debut for the U.S. on Dec. 8, 2019, against UAE in an ODI.

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