Anshuman Rath leaves Hong Kong in attempt to realise India dream

The 21-year-old has abandoned his homeland and will enter the IPL draft in 2020 as he eyes a switch of allegiances

Hong Kong captain Anshuman Rath has left his homeland in an effort to represent India in international cricket.

The 21-year-old has previously played 18 one-day internationals and 20 T20s for the country of his birth - but he has designs on playing Test cricket.

Rath holds an Indian passport and will enter the IPL 2020 draft as a local uncapped player in an attempt to draw further attention to his undoubted talent.

He was offered a contract by Middlesex in 2017 but was unable to join after being denied a visa due to him not being from a full member nation of the ICC.

But this move to India offers him a second chance to realise his dream to reach the summit of the sport.

"In the first instance, however, this opportunity provides a chance to train and play full-time in a fully-professional system, with the added incentive down the line of potentially playing Test cricket," he told Emerging Cricket.

"This has always been my dream, and the false start to my chance in the English system resulted in me taking a good look at all my options."