AUS U19 vs IND U19 | Ayush Mhatre to helm India Colts in multi-format series Down Under

‌Ayush Mhatre will continue as captain of the India U19 side in their multi-format tour of Australia. Mhatre will lead a 17-member squad that will play three ODIs and two four-day matches Down Under from September 21.

All three ODIs will be played at the Ian Healy Oval in Brisbane on September 21, 24, and 26, respectively, with the first of the two four-day matches also scheduled at the same venue from September 30. The action will then shift to Mackay, where the last multi-day game will be played from October 7.

The 18-year-old Mumbai opener also led the Indian junior team in their recently concluded multi-format tour of England. The visitors won the five-match ODI series 3-2 before both the four-day Test matches ended in draws. After a disappointing limited-overs series, Mhatre finished as the top run-getter in the red-ball duel with 340 runs from two games, including two hundreds and a fifty, at a stunning average of 85.00.

Meanwhile, Vaibhav Suryavanshi also found a place in the side after his stunning exploits in the Indian Premier League and during the ODIs against England. The 14-year-old teen sensation had a breakout season in the Indian Premier League earlier this year, scoring 252 runs in seven matches for Rajasthan Royals, including a 35-ball 100 against Gujarat Titans, at an astonishing strike rate of 206.55. He carried that form into the five-match ODI series against England, amassing 355 runs at an average of 71.00 and a strike rate of 174.01.

Vihaan Malhotra, who shone in both ODIs and red-ball matches against England, will be Mhatre’s deputy, while off-spinner Kanishk Chouhan and medium-pacer RS Ambrish, who finished as the joint-highest wicket takers in the ODI leg in England, are also part of the squad. Apart from the 17 players who are part of the squad, India has also named five standby players in Yudhajit Guha, Laxman, B.K Kishore, Alankrith Rapole, and Arnav Bugga.

India Under-19 squad: Ayush Mhatre (c), Vihaan Malhotra (vc), 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