Revealed: Why Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Was Not Picked In India’s U19 Squad For Australia Series?

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Devajit Saikia - (Source: AFP)

On Thursday, August 27, the BCCI announced a 15-member India U19 squad for the upcoming youth ODIs and multi-day series against Australia. The fans immediately spotted Vaibhav Sooryavanshi missing from the list and sent social media into a frenzy.

Lakshya Raichandani will lead the side, and the squad features fresh faces like Aaryavir Sehwag and Anway Dravid. Nonetheless, the fans are curious about Sooryavanshi’s absence, and this article will shed light on the reason why the RR prodigy is not picked up in India’s U19 squad for Australia series.

India Under 19 Squad Named for Australia, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Out

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has already taken the world by storm at the age of 15. The southpaw featured in the 2026 Under-19 World Cup, which was his last appearance for the Under-19 side. Notably, for those wondering whether BCCI rules restrict the Bihar-based cricketer from representing the Under-19 side, that is not the case.

Yes, its true that the apex board has a rule in place that an Under-19 player can play an ODI World Cup just once, even if age is on their side. So, the rule prevents Sooryavanshi from playing another Under-19 ODI World Cup but not a bilateral series.

Here, in this scenario, it seems that the board is clear that they want to prepare a new Under-19 squad. It is a new cycle, so why select previously tested players who won’t be eligible for another World Cup? Therefore, no player from India’s 2026 World Cup-winning campaign is part of the squad for the Australia series, including Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Workload Management In Consideration

Another possible reason here is that Sooryavanshi has already made his India debut. Again, there is no such rule that a player who has made his International debut cannot go back to play Under-19 cricket. However, the BCCI has to work on his workload management as well.

The India U19 series against Australia U19 starts on September 18, just 4 days after India’s T20I series against Afghanistan, which will most likely feature Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. 

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