Ayush Mhatre to Lead India U-19 in Multi-Format Tour of Australia; Suryavanshi, Malhotra Key Names in Squad

India Under-19 are set for a five-match tour of Australia, starting September 21, with Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre named captain of the 17-member squad. The series will feature three one-day matches followed by two four-day games.

All three ODIs will be played at the Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane on September 21, 24, and 26. The first four-day match will also take place at the same venue from September 30, while the second will be hosted in Mackay starting October 7.

One of the most exciting inclusions in the squad is 14-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who shot to prominence during IPL 2025 with his explosive performances. Suryavanshi had also topped the run charts in the one-day leg of India’s recent tour of England, scoring 355 runs in five innings. Offspinner Kanishk Chouhan was India’s highest wicket-taker in that series, which India won 3-2.

Ayush Mhatre had a standout tour of England as well, finishing as the leading run-scorer in the youth Tests with 340 runs from four innings. Despite both matches ending in draws due to rain, Mhatre’s performances were a highlight in a series dominated by the batters.

Vihaan Malhotra, the consistent top-order batter from Punjab, has been appointed vice-captain. Malhotra impressed during the England tour across both formats and is rewarded with a leadership role for the Australian series.

There are four changes from the England tour squad: Maulyarajsinh Chavda, Pranav Raghavendra, Mohammed Enaan, and standby Yudhajit Guha have missed out. They make way for Vedant Trivedi, Khilan Patel, Udhav Mohan, and Aman Chauhan. Notably, Khilan Patel, who missed the England tour due to a stress reaction in his leg, returns fully fit.

The squad also features wicketkeeper-batters Abhigyan Kundu and Harvansh Singh Pangalia, along with left-arm pacer R S Ambrish, who picked up six wickets in the youth Tests in England. Offspinner Anmoljeet Singh and all-rounders Naman Pushpak and D Deepesh also retain their places.

India U-19 had previously whitewashed Australia U-19 at home across both formats in September-October 2024 and will look to repeat that dominance on Australian soil.

India Under-19 Squad for Australia Tour:

Main 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

India's tour of Australia begins on September 21, and the team will be eager to build on their recent success and continue developing talent for the senior side.

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