USA Cricket have delivered a few eyebrow-raising choices in their squad announcement for the upcoming ICC World Cup League 2 tri-series in Nepal, which kicks off on August 13. The biggest talking point is the maiden national call-up for 17-year-old fast bowler Ritvik Appidi, who has been promoted to the senior set alongside former Sri Lanka international Shehan Jayasuriya. The 50-over group also welcomes left-arm spinner Mohammad Mohsin for the first time, giving him a clear route into the ODI setup after he previously featured in the USA’s T20 World Cup squad earlier this year.
Jayasuriya’s selection largely fits the logic of USA’s current requirements. With Nepal expected to lean heavily on spin in the conditions of Kathmandu—where pitches can turn into dust bowls—USA have opted for an experienced left-handed middle-order batter who can handle the demands of longer spells and changing grips. Yet, while that part of the decision feels straightforward, Appidi’s rapid rise is what has drawn the most attention in American cricket circles.
Appidi, who stands at 6’3”, made a significant impression earlier in the year when he dismissed Vaibhav Suryavanshi in a Under-19 World Cup match. Team sources believe the teenager has a rare ability to repeatedly hit “hard” lengths at pace, with reports that he can deliver consistently at speeds beyond 130 kmph. One source close to the management explained that the fast-bowling pool has grown to around 35 options and that the timing is right to blood the youngster, pointing to his temperament and performances such as his showing in the Houston Open as evidence that he is ready for the next step.
Appidi’s inclusion could, however, come at the cost of veteran fast bowler Shadley van Schalkwyk. Van Schalkwyk had a dream T20 World Cup run, claiming 13 wickets in four matches and finishing just behind Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy—both of whom took 14 wickets each. Even so, his ODI opportunities may have been limited by form and selection factors: he was not part of USA’s earlier ODI assignment in Dubai, a period that followed a lean stretch in the format where he managed only four wickets across his last eight ODI outings.
Another notable absence from the touring party is wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous. His omission follows controversy around his absence from the USA’s last two matches at the T20 World Cup, which the team management officially attributed to a stomach bug. Sources close to the set-up say Gous and the team management have now reached a mutual understanding that the aggressive opener should focus mainly on T20 cricket in the foreseeable future. Even though he remains viewed as an important part of the white-ball structure, there are reportedly lingering worries about his ODI form and about recurring fitness concerns on tours, with a history of struggling to maintain full fitness across extended assignments.
Amid the churn and the shift in the national squad, one change is expected to be widely welcomed: the promotion of young batting star Sai Teja Mukkamalla to vice-captaincy. The 22-year-old New Jersey batter has become a consistent figure in USA’s batting line-up across white-ball cricket, posting averages above 40 while striking at an eye-catching rate of 149 in T20 internationals. Mukkamalla also underlined his class during the T20 World Cup build-up, scoring a half-century against New Zealand in the warm-up matches, before backing it with a composed 79 against the Netherlands during the tournament itself. The management view is that he is level-headed, methodical about his role, and has earned respect across the dressing room for his commitment—having come through the American system and built strong relationships with both senior and junior teammates.
USA, meanwhile, are set to return to ODI cricket after a six-month gap, and they will be hoping to pick up where they left off before the break. Before that pause, they surged to the top of the World Cup League 2 standings by winning 11 of their last 12 matches, a run that positioned them as credible contenders for direct qualification. Captain Monank Patel will now look to bring that momentum into Nepal, while also trying to erase the memory of February 2020—a notoriously poor tour that ended with an infamous nine-wicket defeat after USA were bowled out for just 35.
