Where is Smit Patel now who accompanied Unmukt Chand to win 2012 U19 World Cup

Smit Patel was one of the key figures behind India's 2012 ICC U19 World Cup triumph. His contributions with then the captain of U19 India, skipper Unmukt Chand, in the final match against Australia are on the pages of cricket history. But unfortunately, the highly talented keeper-batter could not make his way to the senior team. In fact, very few cricketers from that U19 side were able to lead their careers at the highest level of the game. Where is Smit Patel now, who scored an unbeaten 62 off 84 to secure India's U19 WC trophy?

He has now moved to the United States of America to represent their national team. The last time he played for the USA was on May 27, 2025, against Oman. He made 41 runs against 47 balls; the USA scored 293 and eventually won the game. Patel made his international debut for the USA last year on August 13. 

The Gujarat-born played for multiple franchises in various T20 leagues. He was in action during this year's Major League Cricket for the Texas Super Kings. Though his performance was not up to the mark. In 8 matches and 6 innings for Super Kings, the 32-year-old got 100 runs in total, including a 38-run innings, which shaped his average to only 16.66. Unlike his batting performances, he was sharp behind the wickets, taking 5 clean catches. 

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Patel participated in the Caribbean Premier League back in 2021 with the Barbados Royals. He scored a half century for Royals, but his overall stats were underwhelming. In 4 CPL innings, he bagged only 70 runs in total. 

In 2021, Smit Patel left all systems under BCCI's governance to pursue his career in the USA. "It's been a different sort of a journey. Starting with the highs of the Under-19 World Cup, then the frustration of not finding a place as a wicketkeeper, and then moving four teams (Gujarat, Tripura, Goa, and Baroda) within India for opportunities," he said before.