Cricketer Navneet Dhaliwal looking forward to representing Canada on home soil

Navneet Dhaliwal didn't want to come to Canada when his family emigrated. Dhaliwal wanted to pursue his cricket dream back home in India where he had played for his under-19 state side.

"I was very angry," said Dhaliwal, who was 22 at the time. "I thought I'm never going to touch a [cricket] bat again."

While his parents won that argument, Dhaliwal found another way in his new country. He went on to represent Canada and this week will be part of the Canadian team hosting Nepal and Oman in an ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 triangular one-day international (50-over) series that opens Monday at the Maple Leaf Cricket Ground in King City, Ont.

Dhaliwal credits Harjot Sidhu, with the Toronto-area Yorkshire Cricket Club, who inspired him to take up the game in one of the local leagues.

"And it just started from there," he said.

Dhaliwal, now 35, made his debut for Canada against the Netherlands in Namibia in January 2015 and went on to captain the side.

Dhaliwal was part of Canada's T20 World Cup roster this summer and opened the tournament in style, with a 61-run innings in Canada's seven-wicket loss to the co-host U.S. on June 1 in Grand Prairie, Texas.

The opener slammed six fours and three sixes in his 44-ball innings.

"An incredible experience," he said of the T20 World Cup.

The Canadians, now captained by Nicholas Kirton, had failed to qualify for the eight previous editions of the T20 World Cup, the 20-over tournament that expanded to 20 teams in 2024.

Canada has not taken part in the 50-over version of the World Cup since 2011, failing to qualify for the last three editions. The Canadian men also played in the 1979, 2003 and 2007 tournaments, exiting after the group stage in all four tournament appearances.

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