India U-19 Squad Revamp: Rohit Yadav Withdrawn, Sehwag and Dravid Juniors Join

India’s build-up to the home Under-19 series against Australia has taken an abrupt turn, with legspinner Rohit Yadav withdrawn from both squads over age discrepancies, prompting a swift reshuffle at the junior level.

The decision ends, at least for now, a promising run for Rohit, who had impressed on the recent tour of Sri Lanka, taking six wickets across the two-match four-day series. His performances there had seemed to cement his place for the Australia assignment. Instead, his name has been scrubbed from both squads, and two fresh faces step into the frame.

Savsani and Baloda drafted in

The selectors have moved quickly. Aryan Savsani, from the Saurashtra Cricket Association, comes into the One-Day squad, a neat local storyline with all three ODIs to be played in Rajkot on September 18, 21 and 23. For the longer format, Haryana Cricket Association’s Tanmay Baloda replaces Rohit in the Multi-Day squad, which will contest two four-day matches — in Rajkot from September 27-30 and in Ahmedabad from October 5-8.

The change does not alter the leadership structure, which remains firmly in the hands of one of India’s most in-form young batters.

Raichandani at the helm after Sri Lanka masterclass

Lakshya Raichandani will captain the One-Day side, with Yashbardhan Chauhan as his deputy. When the format stretches out, the roles flip: Chauhan will lead in the Multi-Day fixtures, Raichandani serving as vice-captain. It’s a neat balance between two players who both arrive with weighty performances behind them.

Raichandani, in particular, is riding a wave. On the tour of Sri Lanka, he dominated the two-match four-day series, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 307 runs at a staggering average of 153.50. The numbers tell their own story: a monumental 207 in Galle, followed by an unbeaten 100 in Colombo. Those aren’t just youth-level cameos; they’re statements.

The Uttarakhand batter already has a taste of senior cricket as well, with four first-class matches under his belt and 223 runs, including three half-centuries. He walks into this Australia series not as a hopeful prospect, but as the batting pillar around whom this side can be built.

Batting core already in form

He is not alone. Several members of the current group used Sri Lanka as their own launchpad.

• Sagar Virk struck 134 in the first four-day game, a knock that underlined his ability to play long, controlling innings.
• In the second match, Manal Chauhan and Kushagra Ojha piled on the runs with 150 and 111 respectively, showcasing the depth of India’s batting reserves at this level.

These are the kind of scores that turn a promising tour into a defining one — and they now form the backbone of India’s plans against Australia.

That continuity matters. The core that excelled away from home now gets the chance to test itself in familiar conditions, under the scrutiny and expectation that always accompany a home series against a major rival.

Famous surnames, fresh pressure

Amid all this, two names in the One-Day squad naturally draw the eye: Aaryavir Sehwag and Anvay Dravid, sons of former India captains Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid.

For them, there is no hiding place. Every innings, every dismissal, every flourish will be measured, unfairly or not, against the shadows of their fathers. Anvay Dravid already has some U-19 experience to his name, having toured Sri Lanka with India U-19 in July and scoring 87 in the second One-Day game. He returns as one of two wicketkeepers in the squad, alongside Rajat Baghel, and will again juggle the dual demands of glovework and run-scoring.

Aaryavir Sehwag, with that surname and all the attacking connotations it carries, will attract immediate attention whenever he walks out to bat. For the Australian bowlers, he’s just another young batter to dismiss. For everyone watching in India, he’s a storyline.

The squad that carries India’s next wave

The One-Day squad, as named, reads:

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.

It is a group stitched together from different associations and different backgrounds, but with a common brief: handle the intensity of an Australia series, absorb the glare that comes with famous surnames and early stardom, and show that the runs and wickets in Sri Lanka were not a one-off.

Rohit Yadav’s exit leaves an awkward question hanging over the pathway system, but it also clears space for others. Now the stage is set. Who will grab it before the selectors turn their gaze to the next World Cup cycle?