Danny Batth on the verge of becoming first player of Indian origin to captain a Premier League side

What's the story?

Wolves are currently flying high in the EFL Champions this season. With 68 points in the bag from 30 games and the nearest rival being 11 points below them, it is safe to say that Wolverhampton Wanderers are just a formality of winning the championship away from playing in the Premier League next season.

One of the integral members of this Wolves side, Danny Batth, is of Indian origin and currently leads the side in England's second division. Subsequently, when Wolves will make their return to the Premier League, Danny Batth will become the first player of Indian origin to captain a Premier League club.

In case you didn't know...

Last year, Batth had voiced his intentions to represent India at the international level with the centre back eligible to play for the country because of his father's Indian roots. Batth originally hails from Punjab with his father being born and brought up in the northern state.

The heart of the matter

Batth has made 16 appearances this season and has also scored 2 goals for Wolves. He had made a trip to India last July for charitable work when he voiced his wish to play for India.

A source close to the player had said back then, “Danny is clear about his ambitions and playing for India is one of them. He is even ready to swap his British passport for an Indian one, but the citizenship regulations in India could make things complicated.”

What next?

India's residency rules and passport obligations made Batth's dream of representing India a near impossible one to achieve. But the 27-year-old is still hopeful of making his international debut for the country of his origin.

Author's take

Batth is on course to step foot into the world of the Premier League. In doing so, he will become one of the few players of Indian origin to make his mark in the most high profile football league in the world.

Whether or not he gets to play for India in the distant future remains to be seen, one thing is certain that it will be the national team's loss and not the player's if he does not get to represent the Blues during his peak years.