Promising batter Ayush Mhatre was retained as captain of the 15-man Indian squad for the forthcoming U19 Asia Cup on Friday.
Teen batting star Vaibhav Suryavanshi will once again be the main focus of the age-group continental championship, which will take place in Dubai from December 12–21 in a 50-over format.
In September and October, Mhatre led India on a multi-format tour of Australia. The competition will act as a training ground for the U19 World Cup, which will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia in January and February of next year. Vihaan Malhotra has been named vice-captain.
The 14-year-old batting wonder Suryavanshi recently excelled in the Rising Stars Asia Cup, striking 144 off just 42 balls against the United Arab Emirates and hitting a 32-ball century for joint third-fastest in the men’s T20 format.
According to a BCCI statement, Kishan Kumar Singh has been selected for the squad, subject to fitness.
Before playing Pakistan on December 14, India will begin their campaign on December 12 against an unidentified opponent (qualifier). On December 16, they will play another qualifier.
The final is scheduled for December 21, two days after the semifinals, which are set for December 19.
India U19 squad: Ayush Mhatre (c), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra (vc), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), Yuvraj Gohil, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Naman Pushpak, D. Deepesh, Henil Patel, Kishan Kumar Singh*, Udhav Mohan, Aaron George
Standby players: Rahul Kumar, Hemchudeshan J, B.K. Kishore, Aditya Rawat
