Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been left out of India’s U-19 squad for the upcoming home series against Australia, despite being just 15 years old and already having senior international experience. The reason behind his exclusion is a specific BCCI rule that restricts players from appearing in more than one U-19 World Cup.
The BCCI has announced a 15-member India U-19 squad for the Australia series, with Aaryavir Sehwag and Anvay Dravid among the notable names. Aaryavir is the son of former India opener Virender Sehwag, while Anvay is the son of former India captain and coach Rahul Dravid.
Sooryavanshi has already established himself as a promising young cricketer on the international stage. He also made his senior India T20I debut against England. However, his previous participation in the 2026 U-19 World Cup means he cannot play in another edition of the tournament.
The BCCI introduced the rule in 2016 to prevent players from participating in multiple U-19 World Cups. Washington Sundar was one of the players affected by the regulation and could not feature in the 2018 edition. Before the rule was introduced, players such as Sarfaraz Khan, Sandeep Sharma and Vijay Zol had appeared in multiple editions.
With Sooryavanshi already having played in the 2026 U-19 World Cup, he is no longer eligible to feature in another edition. This is the main reason he has not been included in the current U-19 plans.
India U-19 will play three 50-over matches against Australia in Rajkot on September 18, 21 and 23. The teams will then play two red-ball matches, with the first scheduled in Rajkot from September 27 to 30 and the second at the Narendra Modi Stadium ‘B’ Ground in Ahmedabad from October 5 to 8.
Lakshya Raichandani will captain the 50-over team, with Yashbardhan Chauhan serving as his deputy. Chauhan will lead the red-ball side, while Raichandani will be the vice-captain.
Aaryavir Sehwag and Anvay Dravid have both been included in the ODI squad but will not feature in the two red-ball matches. Aaryavir is currently playing for West Delhi Lions in the 2026 Delhi Premier League and has appeared in two games.
Anvay Dravid scored 101 runs in two 50-over matches during India’s U-19 tour of Sri Lanka in July. India lost the ODI series 2-1 but won the red-ball series 1-0.
Manal Chauhan and Chigurupati Venkata have also been selected for the ODI series against Australia, while Sagar Virk, Anmoljeet Singh and Ishan Sood have been left out.
