U19 Asia Cup: 13-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi picked as BCCI announces India squad

Mohammed Aman will lead India in the Under-19 Asia Cup in the UAE from November 30 to December 8. 13-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been picked in the 15-man squad, which was named by the BCCI selection committee on Wednesday, November 13. The Asia Cup will be held in 50-over format.

India have announced a power-packed squad with players having considerable domestic cricket experience. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already played two youth Tests, both against Australia in Chennai earlier this year. Vaibhav hit a 58-ball hundred in a Test in that series.

The India Under-19 squad also has Mumbai’s up-and-coming opener Ayush Mhatre, who hit a hundred against Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy in October. Tamil Nadu’s Andre Siddharth, all-rounder Kiran Chormale are among the notable players along with captain Aman, who hails from Uttar Pradesh. Aman also led India against Australia in September and scored two fifty-plus scores in a three-match series in Puducherry.

India U19 Squad for Asia Cup 2024

Ayush Mhatre, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, C Andre Siddarth, Mohd. Amaan (C), Kiran Chormale (VC), Pranav Pant, Harvansh Singh Pangalia (WK), Anurag Kawde (WK), Hardik Raj, Md. Enaan, KP Karthikeya, Samarth Nagaraj, Yudhajit Guha, Chetan Sharma, Nikhil Kumar.

India also announced four non-travelling reserves: Sahil Parakh, Naman Pushpak, Anmoljeet Singh, Pranav Raghavendra, D Dipesh.

MORE ABOUT VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI

Hailing from the village of Tajpur in Samastipur, Bihar, Vaibhav’s journey in cricket began early. He started playing cricket at the age of 9, with his father, Sanjeev Suryavanshi, who was an avid cricket enthusiast himself, guiding his initial steps in the sport. Sanjeev, who had once aspired to play cricket but could not pursue it, saw immense potential in his son and ensured Vaibhav received the best possible training. By the time Vaibhav was 10, he was already playing with senior players and demonstrating impressive skills[1][2].

He played in the Cooch Behar Trophy 2023 for Bihar, where he scored big runs, including 151 runs off 128 balls against Jharkhand. His performance in this tournament, along with his participation in a quadrangular series involving India U19 A, India U19 B, England U19, and Bangladesh U19, further solidified his reputation as a promising young cricketer[1].

At the international level, Vaibhav has continued to break records. In October 2024, at just 13 years and 188 days, he became the youngest player to score an international century, achieving this feat in an India Under-19 Youth Test against Australia at the Chepauk stadium. His century, scored off 58 balls, was the second-fastest in U19 Tests, only behind England’s Moeen Ali’s 56-ball ton in 2005[2][3].

Under-19 Asia Cup Format and Fixtures

India U19, the most successful side of the competition, having won the tournament eight times, are placed in Group A, which also features Pakistan U19, Japan U19, and hosts, UAE U19. Group B, on the other hand, is formed by Afghanistan U19, Bangladesh U19, Nepal U19, and Sri Lanka U19.

Ahead of the tournament, India U19 will take on Bangladesh U19 in a practice match on 26th November, in Sharjah.

Match 1

Date: 30th Nov 2024 (Saturday)
Time: 10:30 AM IST
Match: India U19 vs Pakistan U19
Venue: Dubai
Match 2

Date: 2nd Dec 2024 (Monday)
Time: 10:30 AM IST
Match: India U19 vs Japan U19
Venue: Sharjah
Match 3

Date: 4th Dec 2024 (Wednesday)
Time: 10:30 AM IST
Match: India U19 vs UAE U19
Venue: Sharjah
Semi-Final 1

Date: 6th Dec 2024 (Friday)
Time: 10:30 AM IST
Venue: Dubai
Semi-Final 2

Date: 6th Dec 2024 (Friday)
Time: 10:30 AM IST
Venue: Sharjah
Final

Date: 8th Dec 2024 (Sunday)
Time: 10:30 AM IST
Venue: Dubai