India U-19 squad: IPL’s young stars Ayush Mhatre, Vaibhav Suryavanshi in spotlight for England tour
Ayush Mhatre (left); Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
IPL 2025’s young sensations Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi made big gains when the India U-19 team for next month's tour of England was announced today. While Mhatre was made the skipper of the Indian team, Suryavanshi was included in the squad. Mumbai's wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu has been named the vice-captain.
The tour will begin on June 24, and India U-19 and England U-19 will play a 50-over warm-up match, followed by a five-match Youth One-Day series and two Multi-Day matches.
Both the teenagers have have an impactful season for their IPL franchises this season. While Mhatre has been one of the few positives in the Chennai Super Kings’ otherwise dismal campaign this season, Suryavanshi has benefited from a breakthrough season with Rajasthan Royals.
Mhatre, 17, has provided the much-needed impetus at the top of the batting order for the M.S. Dhoni-led CSK, with 206 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 187.27.
Suryavanshi, on the other hand, had a promising start to his IPL career, becoming the youngest to smash an IPL hundred and his 35-ball century last month against Gujarat Titans. It was also the second fastest in IPL history. He has 252 runs to his name in seven matches, at a strike rate of 206.55 – the highest this season so far.
Suryavanshi made a hundred against the Australia U-19 in the first Youth Test at Chennai last year. The 14-year-old from Bihar's Samastipur has played five first-class matches and six List A games for his state but is yet to score a hundred there.
Mhatre, in his debut Ranji season, scored 471 runs in eight matches with two centuries and one fifty. He has played nine first-class matches and seven List A games, scoring 962 runs. The 17-year-old made the squad after CSK skipper and opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out with an elbow injury midway this season.
Kerala leg-spinner Mohammed Enaan, who took 16 wickets from two Youth Tests against Australia U-19 in December last year, too, was included in the squad. Punjab off-spinner Anmoljeet Singh, who was the second highest-wicket taker in the series with nine scalps, too, made the squad.
India U-19 squad for England tour
Ayush Mhatre (Captain), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 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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