India U-19 Series Shake-up: Rohit Yadav Withdrawn, Raichandani Takes Charge
India’s build-up to the home series against Australia U-19 has taken an abrupt turn. Legspinner Rohit Yadav, one of the bright spots from the recent tour of Sri Lanka, has been withdrawn from both squads because of age discrepancies, forcing an early reshuffle before a high-profile youth contest.
Rohit’s omission is significant. In Sri Lanka, he had done exactly what a touring legspinner is picked to do: attack, tease, and strike. Six wickets in the two-match four-day series underlined his growing influence in red-ball conditions. That progress now stalls, and the vacancy opens the door for two fresh faces.
From Saurashtra, Aryan Savsani steps into the One-Day squad. Haryana’s Tanmay Baloda joins the Multi-Day group. Neither arrives with the fanfare that surrounded Rohit after Sri Lanka, but this is how U-19 cricket often works in India: one door closes, two more creak open.
Raichandani in command
The series itself promises a serious examination. Three One-Day matches in Rajkot on September 18, 21 and 23, followed by two four-day fixtures — September 27-30 in Rajkot and October 5-8 in Ahmedabad. It’s a compact schedule, but for a few players, it comes at just the right time.
At the centre of it all stands Lakshya Raichandani.
He will captain the One-Day side, with Yashbardhan Chauhan as his deputy. Then they swap roles for the Multi-Day games: Chauhan takes the captaincy, Raichandani becomes vice-captain. It’s a deliberate dual-leadership model, testing both under different pressures, white-ball tempo and red-ball grind.
Raichandani could not have timed his surge better. In Sri Lanka, he was relentless. Across the two four-day games, he piled up 307 runs at an average of 153.50 — staggering numbers at any level. The headline was his 207 in Galle, a statement innings in foreign conditions. He followed it with an unbeaten 100 in Colombo, proof that the first knock was no one-off.
The Uttarakhand batter already owns four first-class matches, 223 runs and three half-centuries in senior cricket. That experience will matter when Australia’s young quicks test him on Indian pitches that still reward discipline and patience as much as strokeplay.
Runs, and more runs, from Sri Lanka
Raichandani wasn’t alone in Sri Lanka. Several of his current teammates used that tour to stake their claims.
Sagar Virk produced 134 in the first four-day game, setting the tone for India’s top order. Manal Chauhan and Kushagra Ojha then took over in the second match, with scores of 150 and 111 respectively. Those innings weren’t just about numbers; they were about time in the middle, about learning how to build, rebuild and then dominate.
That core now forms the spine of India’s plans against Australia. The selectors have clearly rewarded form, banking on a group that already knows how to bat long and bat big.
Famous surnames, fresh pressure
The One-Day squad list also carries two names that will draw immediate attention: Aaryavir Sehwag and Anvay Dravid.
They are the sons of former India captains Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, but at this level, lineage only gets you so far. Aaryavir now steps into a dressing room where every player wants to be known for his own game, not his father’s legacy.
Anvay Dravid has already had a taste of that scrutiny. He was part of the India U-19 side that toured Sri Lanka in July and made 87 in the second One-Day game there. He returns now as one of two wicketkeepers in the squad, alongside Rajat Baghel. The gloves bring their own pressure; one mistake stands out, one sharp take can change a match.
For both, the Australia series is a chance to shift the conversation from surnames to scorecards.
The squad taking shape
The One-Day group reads like a blend of form, potential and pedigree:
- Lakshya Raichandani (c)
- Yashbardhan Chauhan (vc)
- Rajat Baghel (wk)
- Aaryavir Sehwag
- V.K. Vineet
- Kushagra Ojha
- Arjun Rajput
- Manal Chauhan
- Anvay Dravid (wk)
- V. Yashveer
- Shavin Vinodh
- Mohit Ulva
- Chigurupati Venkata
- Kavya Patel
- Aryan Savsani.
Savsani’s inclusion for Rohit in the One-Day setup underlines the selectors’ trust in Saurashtra’s production line, especially with the matches in Rajkot, his home association’s patch. Baloda, meanwhile, strengthens the Multi-Day resources, where India will look to sustain pressure over four days, not just bursts of 10 overs.
The loss of a proven legspinner on the eve of such a series is not ideal. But U-19 cricket is rarely neat. It’s about adaptation, about who seizes an unexpected opening and turns it into a career-launching moment.
Australia U-19 will arrive expecting a stern examination. The question now is simple: which of these young Indians will turn this disrupted build-up into the start of something bigger?
