Former Hong Kong Cricketer Anshuman Rath Signed By Odisha For Domestic Season

The Odisha domestic team has signed Hong Kong’s cricketer Anshuman Rath for the upcoming season. He was brought up in Hong Kong by his Odia parents and has represented the Hong Kong national team in 18 ODI’s and 20 T20I’s.

Anshuman Rath has completed the cooling-off period of one year which is a pre-requisite in order to play in the domestic arena. He is currently playing in Orissa’s Inter-District Championship that is being held in Bhubaneshwar.

“The Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) has been warm and players are very friendly. I am looking forward to representing Orissa this year.”

“I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I think in Hong Kong I was very comfortable. I really wanted to play in a challenging environment that is very professional and what better place than India for that,” Rath was quoted as saying to Cricbuzz.

“Playing in the country of my parents is a matter of pride for me” – Anshuman Rath

The 23-year-old Anshuman Rath is keen on playing Test cricket. He revealed that as one of the biggest reasons why he has made the shift to playing his cricket in India. Rath has obtained the NOC and has completed the necessary formalities to play in the sub-continent.

“I am grateful to Hong Kong Cricket for the opportunities but I wanted to push myself. Associate cricket has its limitation, the facilities, exposure, and resources are limited.”

“I’ve soon realised that I cannot achieve my goal of playing Test cricket by being in Hong Kong. That is why I have moved to India. Playing in the country of my parents is also a matter of pride for me,” Rath mentioned.

Anshuman Rath is a left-handed opening batsman and also doubles up as a wicket-keeper. He has played five first-class games, but more importantly, he has represented Hong Kong in the 2015 T20 World Cup qualifiers in Ireland and Scotland.

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