Hobart Hurricanes player Nikhil Chaudhary has pleaded not guilty to raping a woman in Australia’s Queensland. As per the Townsville Bulletin, the BBL star allegedly committed the crime in his vehicle after meeting the woman at a nightclub in Townsville. The trial began on Monday, with the cricketer pleading ‘not guilty’.
BBL star pleads not guilty
Nikhil Chaudhary has played the Ranji Trophy for Punjab alongside stars like Yuvraj Singh and Shubman Gill. He was coached by Harbhajan Singh. Nikhil moved to Australia and worked as a postman while pursuing cricket.
Nikhil visited Australia for a holiday in 2020 but ended up staying because of the COVID-19 pandemic. During his extended stay, he started playing for the Northern Suburbs District Cricket Club in Brisbane. Good performances in country cricket saw the cricketer being picked by the Hobart Hurricanes towards the end of 2023.
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A jury of 12 members were selected on Monday morning, with a 13th member selected as a precautionary measure. The trial is expected to last three days before Judge John Coker and a jury and Chaudhary will be represented by defence barrister Claire Grant. Shannon Sutherland is acting as crown prosecutor.
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