Mhatre to lead India U-19 in multi-format tour of Australia

Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre will lead India Under-19 in a multi-format tour of Australia, which begins on September 21 at Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane. The 17-member side includes 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who had lit up IPL 2025 with his power-packed batting.

India will play five matches on the tour, beginning with three one-day games, all at the same venue, on September 21, 24 and 26. That will be followed by two four-day matches, the first one also at Ian Healy Stadium from September 30 and the second in Mackay from October 7.

From the U-19 side that recently toured England for a similar multi-format series, the players missing are Maulyarajsinh Chavda, Yudhajit Guha (among the stand-bys), Pranav Raghavendra and Mohammed Enaan. In come Vedant Trivedi, Khilan Patel, Udhav Mohan and Aman Chauhan.

Khilan, who was ruled out of the England tour due to a stress reaction in his right leg, has recovered and is included in the 17-member squad. Top-order Punjab batter Malhotra, who excelled in both the four-dayers and 50-over leg of the England tour, has been rewarded with the vice-captaincy for the Australia tour.

Mhatre was the leading run-scorer (340 in four innings) in the youth Tests in England, a high-scoring series which ended 0-0 with both matches severely curtailed by rain. India had earlier taken the one-day series 3-2, with Suryavanshi topping the run-charts with 355 runs in five innings. Offspinner Kanishk Chouhan led the wickets column for India in the one-day series, while fast bowler R S Ambrish impressed with six wickets in the youth Tests.

The squad also includes wicketkeeper-batter Harvansh Singh Pangalia and offspinner Anmoljeet Singh, while Naman Pushpak and D Deepesh also retain their places. Apart from Guha, Laxman, B K Kishore, Alankrith Rapole and Arnav Bugga are the standby players.

India had earlier clean swept the Australia U-19 side in both the one-day and four-day series at home in September-October last year.

India Under-19 squad: Ayush Mhatre (capt), Vihaan Malhotra (vice-capt), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vedant Trivedi, Rahul Kumar, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (WK), R S Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Naman Pushpak, Henil Patel, D Deepesh, Kishan Kumar, Anmoljeet Singh, Khilan Patel, Udhav Mohan, Aman Chauhan
Standby players: Yudhajit Guha, Laxman, B.K. Kishore, Alankrith Rapole, Arnav Bugga