Mumbai’s Ayush Mhatre was on Thursday appointed captain of the India U-19 team for next month’s tour of England, while 14-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi is also included in the squad. The tour, scheduled to begin on June 24, will include a 50-over warm-up match, followed by a five-match Youth One-Day series and two Multi-Day matches against England U19. Suryavanshi’s selection comes on the back of a breakthrough IPL season with Rajasthan Royals. The baby-faced big-hitter from Bihar’s Samastipur had become the toast of the nation after becoming the youngest to smash an IPL hundred and his 35-ball century last month against Gujarat Titans was also the second fastest of the league.
He has played five first-class matches and six List A games for Bihar but is yet to score a hundred in any of those matches. However, Suryavanshi had made a hundred against the Australia U19 in the first Youth Test at Chennai last year.
Seventeen-year-old Mhatre, on the other hand, has played nine first-class matches and seven List A games, scoring 962 runs. The opener replaced Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad midway this season after the latter was ruled out with an elbow injury.
Mumbai’s Wicketkeeper batter Abhigyan Kundu has been named Mhatre’s deputy.
While another interesting selection is that of Kerala leg-spinner Mohammed Enaan, who was impressive against Australia U19 in December last year.
Enaan grabbed 16 from two Youth Tests against the Aussies to emerge the top wicket-taker in that series. Punjab off-spinner Anmoljeet Singh, who was the second highest-wicket taker of that series with 9 scalps, too found a place in the squad.
India U19 Squad
Ayush Mhatre (Captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra, Maulyarajsinh Chavda, Rahul Kumar, Abhigyan Kundu (Vice-Captain & WK), Harvansh Singh (WK), R S Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Yudhajit Guha, Pranav Raghavendra, Mohammed Enaan, Aditya Rana, Anmoljeet Singh.
Standby Players: Naman Pushpak, D Deepesh, Vedant Trivedi, Vikalp Tiwari, Alankrith Rapole
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