Nihal Desai - nothing beats hitting sixes
Hard-hitting, leg-spinning all-rounder, Nihal Desai, has re-joined the UTS North Sydney Bears for the 2026/27 season and made a strong start to the season with a match-winning 40 at the top of the order in a T20 against Parramatta and two wickets in two balls in the first Belvidere Cup match of the season the following week. Read about Nihal’s cricket origins, what brought him back to the Bears, and his aspirations to play franchise cricket in his native USA.
When did your cricketing journey begin and where did you play your junior cricket?
I grew up playing baseball till I was about 13. But one day when my dad and I were going by a park we saw cricket nets and decided to give it a try. The coach for San Ramon Cricket association took me in and said I had fast bowling potential. I remember the first catch I took was a high catch and it hurt like hell after wearing a baseball mitt for 5 years.
Who is a player you looked up to growing up, and why?
Growing up I always looked at Ravindra Jadeja. I always admired his ability to affect the game with the ball and bat. Also KL Rahul is a batter I always looked up to. I had a superstition for a long time that if he scored runs then I was going to score runs.
You came to UTS North Sydney in 2022 and have just returned to us after two seasons with UNSW. What excited you about the opportunity to be part of the Bears’ setup again this season?
What excited me most about the Bears was playing with the same boys that we won the PGs Premiership a few years ago. That team had a special place in my heart and I really loved playing with them.
Nihal during his first stint at the Bears
Your rise up the grades in your first stint at the Bears was impressive, going from Fifth Grade when you started out to Second Grade by the end of that season and a First Grade debut the following year. Did you always aspire to play at the top grade and what did you learn on the way through, having mostly played T20 cricket before arriving in Australia?
I have reflected many times on that first season as it was a whirlwind of a year. Having taken one or two wickets in the first four games of 5s, I found it really difficult to adjust to the longer format having bowled in a more defensive T20 way my whole life. But lucky enough, I was surrounded by a lot of experienced players at the club who helped me hone my skills in each grade (special shout out to the Lloyds, Rob Lavery, Pat Lindsay, all the Aitkens, Avo, and Billsy)
You’ve mentioned already that you played in the Bears’ Poidevin-Gray Premiership-winning side in 2023/24, where you took 2/43 including an incredible caught and bowled. What do you remember from that amazing day?
My favourite memory of that day is the boys on the hill spraying each one of the NDs batters when they got out. I thought some of the banter was top tier.
Nihal takes a superb return catch in the 2023/24 PGs final. Photo: Ian Bird.
You’re a genuine all-rounder who’s already made a big contribution to First Grade with both bat and ball this season. Have you always excelled in both disciplines and do you see either as your dominant or preferred skill?
Having been someone who has always wanted to be contributing to the game. I naturally gravitated to being an all-rounder. I didn’t bowl leg spin until I was about 16 or 17, so I would say I was a batter by default and then bowling came through and shone more as I reached my late teens. I absolutely love leg spin as an art, but nothing beats hitting sixes in the shorter format for me.
During your first stint at the Bears, you were studying at UTS and were a member of the UTS Elite Athlete Program. What are you doing career or study-wise now and how do you find balancing it with cricket?
Yeah, at the moment career and studies are kind of all hectic. I am currently working full time as a junior software engineer at Finsure. I am also finishing my last semester of university as well. So really, it’s a lot of early mornings getting gym and conditioning out of the way. And then straight into training after work. Uni work is squeezed in on the weekend!
You hold a US passport and cricket seems to be taking off over there with Major League Cricket and co-hosting the last men’s T20 World Cup. Do you have any plans or aspirations to play over there again and see how far you can make it in their setup?
Yes, my goal at the moment is to try and play the franchise cricket in the USA. I really want to pursue a T20 white ball career.
What are your aspirations for the season ahead - both individually and for the club?
I would love for the club to make first grade finals this year and see if we can go deep into the playoffs. Personally, I want to make more of an impact with the ball and be able to win a few matches for the team, and take a more aggressive approach with the bat.