Indian Player Selected For Australia Series Banned By BCCI For 2 Years

India U19 team player gets banned [Source: AFP]

In a recent development, Rohit Yadav, an India U19 player, has been banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India with immediate effect. The cricketer who represents Bengal has been suspended by the BCCI because of age fraud.

Rohit Yadav will serve a 2-year ban from playing any kind of cricket affiliated with the BCCI, and all state units have been informed of the development too to bar him from representing other states. 

Rohit Yadav gets banned after getting picked for Australia series

A Sportstar report revealed that BCCI’s decision to impose the ban came after discrepancies were found in his Aadhaar records during an age-verification exercise. 

Significantly, Yadav was set to represent India U19 for the Australia series set to be played later in September. However, just months after his rise from junior cricket, Yadav will have to serve two years of no cricket.

Rohit had travelled to Sri Lanka with the India U-19 team and showed promise with his legspin. He bagged 6 wickets in the Youth Test against Lanka while bowling at an average of 10.50.

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Why was the India U19 player banned by BCCI?

Rohit Yadav’s records began to raise questions because his date of birth did not remain consistent across the documents submitted over the years. When he registered with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) in 2014, his date of birth was listed as July 7, 2007, and his address was recorded in Uttar Pradesh.

That changed in 2017, when an Aadhaar update put his year of birth at 2006. A subsequent update in 2020 retained the same year. But the records changed once again in 2021, when his year of birth was revised to 2009. The 2009 entry then remained unchanged in Aadhaar updates carried out in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

His residential details also evolved during this period. The original Uttar Pradesh address was later replaced by one in Howrah, with Liluah appearing in subsequent records.

The conflicting entries came under scrutiny earlier this year when the CAB began reviewing players’ age-related documents in accordance with BCCI instructions. The association sought an explanation for the inconsistencies before referring the matter to the apex board for further consideration.

Rohit Yadav to be replaced in the India U19 squad 

Rohit Yadav, who was named in the squad of both the multi-day and one-day fixtures against Australia, will now be replaced by the BCCI, as the apex council is looking for a replacement very soon. 

The most possible and likely replacements for Rohit Yadav could be Kanishk Chouhan and Mohammed Enaan. Kanishk can operate as a reliable all-rounder, which also allows him to serve as a primary middle-order bowler, who can choke runs for the team and build pressure on the opponents.

Mohammed Enaan is another option who can provide an all-round option for the team, since, in the recently concluded Kerala T20 League, Enaan produced 104 runs with the bat at an average of 52.0, while also taking five wickets from the nine matches he bowled in.

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