BBL 2023: Hobart Hurricanes sign Nikhil Chaudhary and Sam Heazlett

Desperate to break through for their maiden Big Bash League title, the Hurricanes have signed Queensland-based pair Nikhil Chaudhary and Sam Heazlett for the upcoming season.

An Indian-born Brisbane grade cricketer with a freakish array of shots and a one-cap Australian wonder are the Hobart Hurricanes’ latest signings.

Desperate to break through for their maiden Big Bash League title, the Hurricanes have signed Queensland-based pair Nikhil Chaudhary and Sam Heazlett for the upcoming season.

Their career paths have been contrasting but both head to the Apple Isle to bolster Hobart’s batting.

Chaudhary shot on to the BBL radar with an excellent T20 Max campaign and has continued that form with Northern Suburbs.

Capable of jaw-dropping shots, the Hurricanes are hopeful Chaudhary can have a similar impact to that of Brisbane grade cricketer Josh Brown, who lit up the BBL last season with the Brisbane Heat.

Heazlett, 28, joins the Hurricanes after departing the Heat.

He remains best-known for playing a sole one-day international against New Zealand in early 2017 after being fast-tracked into the Australian side with the imprimatur of legend Greg Chappell.

Heazlett made four in that match and only had modest success thereafter with Queensland. He lost his state contract this year.

Sam Heazlett has joined the Hurricanes. Picture: Steve Bell/Getty Images

However, he has remained around the Bulls’ set-up and played regularly in the one-day format, in which he averages more than 42.

Indian international and domestic players are barred from playing T20 leagues outside the Indian Premier League, meaning Chaudhary – though now based in Australia – is a rarity in several respects.

Former Indian junior Unmukt Chand played for the Melbourne Renegades two seasons ago but only after moving to the US.

Hobart is one of two BBL clubs yet to win the championship.

Head of strategy Ricky Ponting said this year that pressure was mounting on the club to turn around its fortunes.

“We are trying to build a really strong core of domestic players and we are a bit like Perth where the overseas slots don’t become as important,” Ponting said.

“So we have some young talent down there like Caleb Jewell who was outstanding last year, we have Mitch Owen as a young Tasmanian all-rounder who will get some opportunity this year.

“And when you look at (Riley) Meredith, (Billy) Stanlake, (Nathan) Ellis, (Paddy) Dooley, (Peter) Hatzoglou, if we can keep that sort of group of bowlers together then it’s a pretty good squad.

“Last year was a disappointing season, with the squad that we had, missing the playoffs by that one game.

“So hopefully we can go a step further this year and qualify because it’s about time.

“We have to win something, simple as that.

“One of the reasons I took this job was to try and bring some success to the Hobart Hurricanes, so hopefully it’s this year.”

Originally published as BBL 2023: Hobart Hurricanes sign Nikhil Chaudhary and Sam Heazlett